E.V. Greig Author
- also writes as Eibhlín Valdys - 

It is the autumn of 1816, and Captain Henry Stratford is secretly in love with another man. The unwitting object of this forbidden affection is his dear friend and fellow soldier Sergeant Hector Snoddy. Unbeknown to Stratford, Snoddy is equally smitten with him. Will either man ever dare to confess his true feelings for the other?
 

With its quiet intensity and character driven storytelling, standalone novella “In the Wake of the War” holds strong appeal for readers of slow burn Regency era romantic fiction. The narrative focus on unwilling self-repression crafts a tender and poignant exploration of diversity and forbidden love. This deeply human and reflective tone is paired with relentless historical awareness; the latter aspect engendering a pervading sense of genuine risk throughout. Presented using period accurate language and tone, the author’s careful examination of the normative restrictions on inclusivity within the Regency era celebrates the courage of all those who lived and dared to love.

The story follows Captain Henry Stratford and Sergeant Hector Snoddy – two men who share a mutual but unspoken affection for one another in the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars. But the inciting incident lies elsewhere: with the actions of Miss Marginalia Wentworth. The eldest of three daughters, Marginalia is autistic and asexual. Verging on spinsterhood at the age of twenty-two, she remains convinced that her missing betrothed will yet return alive. Those around her are wholly agreed that the young man is dead. Faced with her parents’ plans to marry her off to the next eligible gentleman to apply, Marginalia flees on horseback. Her desperate journey ends abruptly when she is thrown from the saddle and rescued by Stratford and Snoddy. Adverse weather combined with the lateness of the hour ensures that gentlemanly duty evolves into overnight hospitality. When his innocent young guest reveals her unhappy social predicament over dinner, Stratford immediately volunteers to assist her by becoming her husband in name only. What follows leads to a mystery, and eventually to an opportunity for the simmering desire between Stratford and Snoddy to finally be acknowledged…