Identical Young Ladies
The survival of multiple births was rare in the Late Victorian Britain. Not surprising, given the myriad of poisons that contaminated their lives. While no woman managed to have even quadruplets in England. In other countries, not so contaminated, having quadruplets did happen, just not often.
However, in England, there were no quadruplets, quintuplets, nor sextuplets born during Late Victorian. Give all the poisons in their homes, including arsenic in the wallpaper, asbestos in the walls, raw sewage seeping up through improper toilets, not to mention tainted milk and mothers quieting their babies with laudanum, heroine, and cocaine it was frankly a miracle that any child managed to survive to adulthood.
In reality, the first set of English sextuplets weren’t born until nearly a century later.
- Dominica, 1790: According to The Times, a Dr. Giuseppe of Dominica reported that an unnamed enslaved woman living on the estate belonging to Thomas Jemmitt gave birth to four girls, three of them almost eighteen hours after the first was born. All survived birth.
- The Gehri quadruplets (born September 26, 1880, in Switzerland were the first recorded to have survived to adulthood. There were two boys (Oskar and Arthur) and two girls (Bertha and Rosa).
However, in England, there were no quadruplets, quintuplets, nor sextuplets born during Late Victorian. Give all the poisons in their homes, including arsenic in the wallpaper, asbestos in the walls, raw sewage seeping up through improper toilets, not to mention tainted milk and mothers quieting their babies with laudanum, heroine, and cocaine it was frankly a miracle that any child managed to survive to adulthood.
In reality, the first set of English sextuplets weren’t born until nearly a century later.
- The Thorns sextuplets (born October 2, 1968 in Birmingham, England, were born to Sheila and Barry Thorns. They were the first sextuplets known to have been born alive in the United Kingdom, but one baby died shortly after birth, and another two died within the next 2 weeks.
Six Sisters of Shame
By
Liza O’Connor
Blurb
In his second marriage, a marriage of true love, Douglas Marsh has acquired six beautiful, identical daughters, who have made a pact never to marry. All are a challenge to the strict mores and interests that young ladies of Victorian England should have, but all are uniquely wonderful. He strives to match his new daughters to men who can appreciate each girl’s talents and interests. Only, one of his daughters wishes to choose for herself, and her choice sets off repercussions that could destroy them all.
WARNING: THIS STORY INCLUDES SOME SEXUALLY EXPLICIT SCENES.
Excerpt
“So how is it we never met your beautiful bride before the wedding?” Teddy asked while impatiently waiting for the butler to reach his bowl and pour his soup.
Douglas chuckled at his ridiculous question. “Are you serious? I proposed on our second date, and when to my shock, she said yes, I arranged immediately for a special license and married her within a week. A man does not display his discovery of priceless jewels until they are legally his.”
“Douglas, really! You cannot refer to your wife in such a manner,” Margaret scolded. “And to deny a bride a beautiful wedding is unconscionable!”
Angelica came immediately to his defense. “I did not mind at all. I would have married him the same day he asked if such a thing were possible.”
Both Margaret and Kathleen paled at her words, but the men eyed Angelica with speculation. They were no doubt pondering what dark secret had forced her to settle so quickly for so little.
“Do you have any children?” Margaret asked.
Of course, the woman would burrow directly to the problem that had chased every other suitor away: Angelica’s daughters.
He spoke before Angelica could answer, preferring to take on John’s wife himself. Any offense he gave would be forgiven. That would not be the case for his dear wife. “Six girls.” Douglas laid his hand over Angelica’s to remind her she was no longer alone in this world. “Six beautiful, talented, and intelligent young ladies.”
“Six!” Margaret’s narrowed eyes and grim, tight lips left no doubt of her disapproval of such excessive proliferation. She had provided John one son in their first year of marriage and that had been all that was required of her. It was not her fault that her son, Sawyer, had died two years later from cholera. “And what are their ages?”
“All are twenty-one, born the same night.” He glanced at Francis seated on the other side of the table. “What’s the name for that?”
“Sextuplets.” Francis’ brow deepened with worry as he focused on Angelica. “Are they healthy?”
“Thriving beauties.” Douglas answered.
His eyebrows rose. “That is most fortunate. I have never heard of a case where it was so.”
“I am most fortunate.” Douglas lifted his wife’s hand and kissed it. “If not for those beautiful young ladies, I wouldn’t have had a chance for such a jewel.”
Angelica blushed. “Douglas, you cannot say that. I loved you from the first day we met.”
He kissed her hand again. “You are most gracious, my dear.”
She extracted her hand and touched his cheek lovingly. “I would rather be praised for picking the best man based on intelligence and character. I am quite certain your friends will support me when I say you have the finest character and extraordinary intelligence.”
SALES LINK
Six Sister of Shame
AMAZON
About the Author
Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels.
OTHER BOOKS BY LIZA O’CONNOR
HISTORICAL
The Adventures of Xavier & Vic
Humorous, Late Victorian Sleuth Series
The Troublesome Apprentice
The Missing Partner
A Right to Love (a romantic spinoff)
The Mesmerist
Well Kept Secrets
Pack of Trouble
The Darkest Days
The CrimeLords’ War
SINGLE HISTORICAL NOVELS
Untamed & Unabashed
Spinoff from Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice
Six Sisters of Shame
Romance/Suspense
Click here For ALL Novels by Liza including other genres
Social Networks
Facebook Facebook Author Page Twitter Multiverse Blog
In his second marriage, a marriage of true love, Douglas Marsh has acquired six beautiful, identical daughters, who have made a pact never to marry. All are a challenge to the strict mores and interests that young ladies of Victorian England should have, but all are uniquely wonderful. He strives to match his new daughters to men who can appreciate each girl’s talents and interests. Only, one of his daughters wishes to choose for herself, and her choice sets off repercussions that could destroy them all.
WARNING: THIS STORY INCLUDES SOME SEXUALLY EXPLICIT SCENES.
Excerpt
“So how is it we never met your beautiful bride before the wedding?” Teddy asked while impatiently waiting for the butler to reach his bowl and pour his soup.
Douglas chuckled at his ridiculous question. “Are you serious? I proposed on our second date, and when to my shock, she said yes, I arranged immediately for a special license and married her within a week. A man does not display his discovery of priceless jewels until they are legally his.”
“Douglas, really! You cannot refer to your wife in such a manner,” Margaret scolded. “And to deny a bride a beautiful wedding is unconscionable!”
Angelica came immediately to his defense. “I did not mind at all. I would have married him the same day he asked if such a thing were possible.”
Both Margaret and Kathleen paled at her words, but the men eyed Angelica with speculation. They were no doubt pondering what dark secret had forced her to settle so quickly for so little.
“Do you have any children?” Margaret asked.
Of course, the woman would burrow directly to the problem that had chased every other suitor away: Angelica’s daughters.
He spoke before Angelica could answer, preferring to take on John’s wife himself. Any offense he gave would be forgiven. That would not be the case for his dear wife. “Six girls.” Douglas laid his hand over Angelica’s to remind her she was no longer alone in this world. “Six beautiful, talented, and intelligent young ladies.”
“Six!” Margaret’s narrowed eyes and grim, tight lips left no doubt of her disapproval of such excessive proliferation. She had provided John one son in their first year of marriage and that had been all that was required of her. It was not her fault that her son, Sawyer, had died two years later from cholera. “And what are their ages?”
“All are twenty-one, born the same night.” He glanced at Francis seated on the other side of the table. “What’s the name for that?”
“Sextuplets.” Francis’ brow deepened with worry as he focused on Angelica. “Are they healthy?”
“Thriving beauties.” Douglas answered.
His eyebrows rose. “That is most fortunate. I have never heard of a case where it was so.”
“I am most fortunate.” Douglas lifted his wife’s hand and kissed it. “If not for those beautiful young ladies, I wouldn’t have had a chance for such a jewel.”
Angelica blushed. “Douglas, you cannot say that. I loved you from the first day we met.”
He kissed her hand again. “You are most gracious, my dear.”
She extracted her hand and touched his cheek lovingly. “I would rather be praised for picking the best man based on intelligence and character. I am quite certain your friends will support me when I say you have the finest character and extraordinary intelligence.”
SALES LINK
Six Sister of Shame
AMAZON
About the Author
Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels.
OTHER BOOKS BY LIZA O’CONNOR
HISTORICAL
The Adventures of Xavier & Vic
Humorous, Late Victorian Sleuth Series
The Troublesome Apprentice
The Missing Partner
A Right to Love (a romantic spinoff)
The Mesmerist
Well Kept Secrets
Pack of Trouble
The Darkest Days
The CrimeLords’ War
SINGLE HISTORICAL NOVELS
Untamed & Unabashed
Spinoff from Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice
Six Sisters of Shame
Romance/Suspense
Click here For ALL Novels by Liza including other genres
Social Networks
Facebook Facebook Author Page Twitter Multiverse Blog
Remarriage always comes with baggage. But when Douglas Marsh married the beautiful, Angelica, the baggage was more than a past... he adopted 6 identical daughters who had vowed to never marry.
Ms. O'Connor writes stories which get me thinking. I am drawn into the characters' lives and can relate with some of the crazy things which happen to them. It all seems so natural...but this novel featured a mystery and I couldn't wait to figure it out! Then even once I knew, Ms. O'Connor sent my poor heart on another journey as the worst could happen! I couldn't put the book down!
Even with the near heart attacks and thrills, this book gave me such a smile. I enjoyed seeing the more complex pieces come together and found that love is such a powerful motivator. She reminded me of why I love romance...love is everything!
This novel will draw you in and never let you go. With Princes, men of a shady reputation, doctors, musicians, artists and high ranking government officials, this book has a character for everyone! I highly recommend it to fans of Gothic stories or true romantics! In fact, Ms. O'Connor might just have solved the Jack the Ripper case! :)
Ms. O'Connor writes stories which get me thinking. I am drawn into the characters' lives and can relate with some of the crazy things which happen to them. It all seems so natural...but this novel featured a mystery and I couldn't wait to figure it out! Then even once I knew, Ms. O'Connor sent my poor heart on another journey as the worst could happen! I couldn't put the book down!
Even with the near heart attacks and thrills, this book gave me such a smile. I enjoyed seeing the more complex pieces come together and found that love is such a powerful motivator. She reminded me of why I love romance...love is everything!
This novel will draw you in and never let you go. With Princes, men of a shady reputation, doctors, musicians, artists and high ranking government officials, this book has a character for everyone! I highly recommend it to fans of Gothic stories or true romantics! In fact, Ms. O'Connor might just have solved the Jack the Ripper case! :)
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