The Cavaliers of Virginia, vol. 1 of 2 or, The Recluse of Jamestown; An historical romance of the Old Dominion

Set against the smoky hollows of the Powhatan and the timber‑crowned banks of the James River, the opening of this tale places us in Jamestown just after the Restoration of Charles II. The fledgling colony is a patchwork of exiled Cavaliers and hardened Roundheads, each group nursing the memory of a war that still echoes in tavern whispers and council chambers. Against this backdrop the town’s wooden palisade, its single river street, and the twin rival inns—one bearing the proud Berkley arms, the other the crossed keys—form a vivid stage for intrigue and ambition.

Into this charged atmosphere steps a solitary figure, a recluse whose quiet demeanor conceals a past intertwined with the colony’s power struggles. When he crosses paths with the charismatic heirs of the two inns, a subtle rivalry sparks, drawing them into a web of secret meetings, fleeting glances, and the promise of a love that could bridge the bitter divide between old‑world loyalties and the new world’s restless spirit.