Earthly Bounties

By L.E. Thomas

In the bucolic late 18th Century English countryside, the Reverend Tobias Whitmore, Vicar of St. Margaret’s, is happily settled with his lovely wife Lucy and their baby son Jamie. However, a chance trip for the couple to the genteel spa town of Bath provides up all sorts of unexpected opportunities for romps and frolics, to Tobias’ eternal surprise.

The Whitmores’ dear friend Meg is out of sorts and unsure of direction in her prosperous life as a medium-grade courtesan. Her visit away to distract herself from her megrims takes to her to the seafaring city of Bristol to reunite with her good friend Betty. She also attracts the admiration of Merchant Seaman Alex Marriott. But is Alex all he seems? And should Meg risk her secure existence all on the dice of romance?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Jun 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781646568130

Book preview

Earthly Bounties

By L.E. Thomas

Published by JMS Books LLC at Smashwords

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2021 L.E. Thomas

ISBN 9781646568130

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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To lovely Jai, without whose endless enthusiasm for these characters and unstinting support for their author, these stories may never have seen light of day.

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Earthly Bounties

By L.E. Thomas

Chapter 1

Stratton-Over-Wye, Herefordshire, West of England, 1779

Tobias wriggled on the seat of the coach, trying vainly to find a soft spot in the worn upholstery so he could doze for at least part of the uncomfortable journey. Across from him, his lovely Lucy caught his eye. She smiled briefly at him while listening to the voluble farmer’s spouse seated next to her, giving seemingly endless hints and tips about preserving summer season fruit and vegetables.

He mused on how wonderful a vicar’s wife she had become in less than two years of marriage, as she nodded her head obligingly to the fellow passenger’s somewhat convoluted discourse. Admiring her graceful profile, he thought, as always, what a very lucky man he was.

He almost had to pinch himself that they were going away together from the vicarage for an entire week. With every passing, bouncing mile, Tobias felt himself relax and become more carefree.

This idea for the trip had come out of the blue. It was proposed by their family friend, Meg. The closeness as a trio had been cemented during the spring, when at Lucy’s suggestion, and both ladies’ agreement, Meg had taken care of Tobias’ bodily needs for some weeks, while Lucy was too tired to do anything else but sleep in the marital bed.

Following these episodes, once Lucy had regained her strength enough to welcome her husband’s advances, Meg had been a regular visitor over the summer. She called into the vicarage most weeks, merely to gossip with them and play with their baby son and her godson, Jamie, when not obliged by any commitment with the gentleman who was currently paying for her favors.

Meg had mentioned in passing that her bubbly bosom companion, Betty, had been hired as an opera dancer (her previous profession) at the Theater Royal in Bath for the early autumn season. On Betty’s part, Meg related that this change of scene was simply a favor to help out the company, as one of their number had unexpectedly eloped or was stricken with consumption or something.

Over the latter part of the summer, Jamie, now ten months old, suddenly found his feet. He had subsequently discovered the joy of running at top speed into immovable objects as soon as his parents’ backs were turned. He was even testing the mettle of his nursery maid, Matilda, who came daily to the vicarage to commandeer her charge.

At fourteen years of age, she was