During the War of 1812, the British invaded and took over parts of what would become the state of Maine. British officers were billeted in the Castine home of Thatcher Avery, a merchant and shipowner–and my five-times great-grandfather. Family legend has it that beautiful Betsey Avery fell in love with one of the officers. When they parted, he gave her his red coat, which she cut up and incorporated into a quilt.  My father asked his great-aunt Fan, Betsey’s great-niece, about this story, but she only snapped “Betsey is in her grave, let her lie!” Which, of course, made me think there’s more to the story and set me on the hunt for as much information as I could find about Betsey and what really happened. And so, my first foray into the world of historical romantic fiction.

work in progress