Elizabeth: A Historical Romance

By Gigi Robbins

Elizabeth is a gorgeous young woman with a lovely disposition but was raised in a very dysfunctional family in the 1880s. She is very strong-willed, courageous and self-reliant. She has little desire for the romantic sort of affection, especially since she had witnessed severe emotional and even some phys

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gigi Robbins
• Release date: Dec 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798869197023

Gigi Robbins

I have been writing since I was in elementary school. Poetry was my first love, but historical fiction is my last. I write from the heart and draw from some of my own experiences, so it tends to get quite emotional. I was inspired by author such as C. S. Lewis and by the beautiful supportive people that have encouraged me along the way.

Book preview

Elizabeth

  A Historical Romance

Gigi Robbins

  Self-Published

Copyright © 2023 Gigi Robbins

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9798373901529

Cover design by: Art Painter

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309 Printed in the United States of America

Dedicated to the strong women who persevere, even in tremendous adversity.

Table of Contents

Prologue

The Matriarch

New Perspectives

A Nightingale’s Lullaby

Risking It All for Love

Misguided Good Intentions

Damsel in Distress

Sealed with a Kiss

Saving the Best for Last

About the Author

Gigi Robbins

Prologue

B

eing from a desperately impoverished and highly dysfunctional Irish-American family, in the latter part of the 19th century, proved very challenging for a vivacious young lady. Elizabeth had innate ambition and a wanderlust soul, which was not always well received but was still admired by many. Even though her family was nearly destitute, she and her courageous younger sister forged an alliance to support one another through all the chaos.

    Having a loving, but ill and fragile mother, and a hard-working, but angry alcoholic father, was certainly a recipe for disaster, causing Elizabeth to always be the peacemaker. If that was not enough to deal with, and as cruel as fate can be, her mother's disease progressed, so eventually she became too weak to be the lovely homemaker she once was. When her mother finally decided it was time to pass the torch down to her beloved daughter, Elizabeth, it had been bittersweet.

    Since she was the eldest of the children, she knew she had no choice in the matter and had to accept. Her youngest siblings were still just small children that needed to be cared for and their house had to be tended to. Elizabeth, being the dutiful daughter that she was, took on the enormous responsibility because she loved them all so deeply and thought they were practically helpless without her. She had become a martyr of sorts, setting aside her wants and needs for their well-being, but she would not have it any other way.

    Vacillating between her desire to be free, and staying to protect everyone from her father’s tyranny, left her feeling tormented at times. However, when a handsome stranger becomes involved with the family, the dynamic in the home completely shifts.

    While everyone seems to be charmed by the attractive and mysterious new young man, Elizabeth finds herself exceptionally drawn to him. As he also takes notice of her, he becomes captivated by the rare beauty. They begin to engage in an intoxicating dance of erotic seduction. It is transcending as it whisks them away from turmoil to Paradise. The chemistry between them becomes so intense, that their burning passion rages, causing sparks to fly.

    More torn than ever, she is left with seemingly impossible choices, knowing she cannot stay in their blissful secret world forever. How could she choose between loyalty to her family she so cherished, and the greatest love of her life? Seeking answers, she embarks on a treacherous journey, hoping to find what she needs most, only to be left more in the dark than ever.

The Matriarch

A

s Elizabeth lay helpless, curled up in a fetal position on the ice-cold swampy ground, she was contemplating many things. She was wondering where her funeral would be held and who would be attending it. Then, she started to imagine what would be said about her in the eulogy.

    Picturing her somber parents trying to console her younger siblings while they sobbed caused her heart to ache terribly. Then, she questioned if she would ever even be found at all so her family could at least say their goodbyes and get closure.

    There she was, writhing in agonizing pain, amidst the unbearably freezing wild wind and pitch-black night. Just when she thought she could not handle it anymore, rain started to violently pour down on her.

    Feeling as if a thousand needles were simultaneously poking at her weak and shivering body, she reached for the elegant locket pendant that he had given her and clutched it. While she desperately grasped onto it, she began apologizing and made an oath to the man she was so deeply in love with.

    As she turned her tear-blurred gaze up to the sky, she cried, I am so sorry, but I have to go now. I wish I would have confessed my love to you when I had the chance, but I will surely when we meet again in Heaven.

    There was no denying it, she desperately needed to be rescued for the first time in her life, which was ironic because she was the one who had always been the savior. She still prayed her gallant knight would miraculously appear, and end her nightmare, even though she was preparing to meet her maker.

    Then, she pleaded out as loudly as she could one last time, Help me! Please help me! as if he could somehow hear her.

    Thunder rumbled closer and she felt like Mother Nature herself was taunting her. A large flash of lightning momentarily lit up the sky right above her, frightening Elizabeth. She could barely muster the strength to lift her head one last time to see if she had been discovered in the vast empty field. After realizing her efforts were in vain, she whimpered and closed her eyes accepting whatever fate had in store for her. Was this the end? Had the final curtain fallen?

∞∞∞

The year was 1885 and Elizabeth was on the precipice of discovering who she genuinely wanted to be, even though it was at odds with whom she was destined to be. She was coming into her own at the youthful age of twenty-two. Her Irish ancestry was undeniable, with her mischievous green eyes and fiery red hair to match her personality. Her frame was slight, but she was strong, a proverbial little firecracker indeed.

    She considered herself to be a progressive-minded woman of the