Ring of Flowers

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Note to the reader: Ring of Flowers was originally a historical subplot that wove throughout The Calypso Directive. At first blush, it was meant to be an origin story for my protagonist Will Foster. Also, I had hoped for it to function allegorically, reinforcing two of the novel's main themes: (1) the costs associated with the morality of serving the "greatest good for the greatest number of people", and (2) the hardship of being forced to choose between a path of self sacrifice and one of self-interest. As the backstory blossomed to 40+ pages, it became clear to both me and my editor that this tragic love story deserved to be a stand alone novella. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please consider reading about Paul and Kathryn's progeny, Will Foster, in the 21st century thriller: The Calypso Directive (available on Amazon in hardback and Kindle editions).

Ethan Cromwell walked with purpose, like men with testosterone-laden agendas typically do. In three days’ time, he would propose to Kathryn Vicars, the most beautiful girl in the Derbyshire village of Eyam. No matter that she was the seventeen-year-old daughter of a lowly tailor, with no dowry to speak of. For Cromwell, she was desire incarnate. If he could combine all of the most delightful experiences from each of his five senses, and flood his brain with that pleasure in a single instant, the cumulative bliss would still fall short of how he imagined it would be to ravage her.

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