Interviewer: Thank you both for joining me. Clara, perhaps we’ll begin with you. What first
drew your attention to Beau?

Clara: Raises her eyebrows and folds her hands in her lap, shooting Beau a grin. He gestures
for her to answer. Well, as it so happens, Beau and I met by unconventional methods. At the
time, I was pursuing a career in journalism and had the grand idea to go below ground and collect an ore sample. You see, Virginia City sits on a massive silver deposit called the Comstock Lode. For many years, newspaper reporters have collected ore samples for the purpose of recommending the mine. In fact, the great Mark Twain records doing just this in his book
Roughing It. He, however, had a friend lower him down by rope, but then his friend played a dirty trick on him. He left him below ground until the miners returned from lunch to haul him up.

Beau: Quiet rumble of a chuckle as he clasps Clara’s hand. Bon… I think what drew her to me was my good looks. He winks, and she flushes.

Clara: Oh, I apologize—you asked what drew me to him. It was his steadiness. He was respectful and strong. I was dressed indecently—in a miner’s outfit with overalls. He led me to water, then protected me from a man of basest intentions. She pauses. But, of course, you will have to read our tale to hear more of that.

Interviewer: Ahh, yes! I have a copy of it. Thank you. Can’t wait to start.Now, Beau, you have a beautiful accent. You are French?

Beau: He nods solemnly. Oui… in part. I was born in ’45 to a Roma woman in France. When she died, I was sent to a Frenchman I did not know—my father. From there, I was raised among the French elite. Attended French schools. Served in the military.

Interviewer: And what was it like living in France during those years?

Beau: He glances at Clara, and she gives him an encouraging nod. It was hard. There was civil unrest, then the Franco-Prussian War in 1870–1871. I came to America after France lost—looking for peace, only to find more trouble.

Interviewer: I remember some of that trouble from books one and two.

Beau: He grimaces, then shrugs with a chuckle. To be sure. I found much trouble.

Interviewer: And you went by the name Fox during your time in Idaho and California. In fact, according to your bio, you spent much of your early acquaintance with Clara hiding who you were. What was the hardest part of that?

Beau: Long pause. At first, it was the danger of exposing myself to an Alexander. I have a history of conflict with this family starting in book one—The Bandit’s Redemption. I was on the run, and I could not risk drawing attention. But with time… je crois the hardest part was lying by omission to Clara and to those who showed me kindness. I owe her family more than I can say. I wanted to be worthy of her trust. Yet every smile she gave me felt like a debt I could never repay. And I feared that when she learned the truth, she would see only the man I once was—not the one I am trying to become.

Clara: And yet, when I did learn the truth, I found a humble man committed to do what was right at great expense to himself. She tugs at his hand, as though to reassure him, then turns to the interviewer. Beau carried guilt for so long, as though it were a physical burden. He sometimes forgets that redemption is not earned by suffering. It is received by grace.

Beau: Softly. She reminds me often.

Interviewer: Yes! Like it says in Psalm 103:12: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” It gives you a wonderful feeling of freedom to be separated from your sins and joined with God.

Beau and Clara: Amen. It’s true.

Interviewer: Now shifting to a lighter topic—romance—what surprised you most about each other?

Clara: His tenderness. One would not expect a man who can lift a timber beam with his bare hands to handle a woman’s heart with such care. But he does.

Beau: Clears throat. And I was surprised that someone who was groomed to be a demure lady would be outspoken in the most intriguing ways. Always, Clara has these “did you know” statements about the history of horses, the Suez Canal, Egypt’s geography, British law… I never know what she will tell me next, but I am always surprised. She fascinates me.

Interviewer: Last question. What do you hope your future looks like?

Clara: Well, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I am working steadily now—though not as I expected when I started my pursuit of a career in journalism. We hope to have a family someday. Clara blushes while Beau shows his first real, white smile. For now, we are making a home of our own and learning what it means to be a family—just the two of us.

Beau: Peace. Belonging. And Clara beside me. Always. God has brought us through an incredible challenge. I don’t know what more might be ahead, but we will face it together. With Him.

Clara: Soft smile. Then we’re agreed.

---

KyLee Woodley writes inspirational historical romance with a pinch of adventure. A cheery romantic, she loves to evoke bygone days and heartwarming love stories. KyLee teaches preschool at a lab school in Texas, where she lives with her husband and their three teenage children. Historical Bookworm Show—a steadily growing podcast for history lovers and fans of historical fiction. Raised in the Pacific Northwest and now rooted in Texas, KyLee carries a deep respect for American values and the power of redemption. She began ministering to the homeless and addicted as a teenager, and that compassion continues to shape her stories—loving the unlovely is a timeless theme.
In her spare time, she cares for a feisty feline named Hazel and two adorable Boston Terrier puppies. She listens to contemporary Christian, country, and early 2000s rock, visits bookstores and coffee shops with her teens, and watches adventure movies with her husband, who might resemble Superman.

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