It is a lovely corner of England, with a pleasant, rolling landscape and many villages that are still relatively unspoiled. I used to love to walk and ride on the Downs, and my husband and I both enjoyed exploring other local attractions.

While the village of Smallbourne is fictional, other settings within the story are real, and well worth visiting, should you get the chance. They include Chichester Cathedral, built in the 11th century (see right), and the picturesque seaside village of Bosham (see below).

Another location I used was Bow Hill in Kingley Vale, where one can walk among burial mounds dating from Saxon times. Below are pictures of the view from the top of Bow Hill, and of the barrows, respectively.

During my stay in England, I was fortunate enough to meet a friend who let me ride her horse, Jack. I immortalized him as my hero’s favorite mount. Here is a picture of me on the real Jack (now sadly deceased, rest his sweet equine soul).

My hero, James Mayland, fifth Earl of Langdon, is fair-haired and rides a chestnut horse. While researching his military background, I looked for a cavalry regiment that had participated in as many battles of the Peninsular War as possible. I ended up choosing the 4th Dragoons, who served in the Peninsula between 1809 until the end of the war in 1814, and who took part of Le Marchant’s famous charge in the battle of Salamanca. As I continued my research, I found the following picture in British Cavalryman 1792-1815 (by Philip Haythornthwaite and Richard Hook, from Osprey Publishing, ISBN 1 85532 364 8). I was immediately struck by the resemblance of the officer to the right of the picture to my hero!