In 1910, the United Kingdom is in turmoil. King Edward dies after only nine years on the throne. The social class system that upheld British society for centuries is being chipped away by social, political, and economic unrest across the Empire. Amidst this backdrop, Reverend Leander Norris is accused of sodomy. After discovering his own self-worth and the meaning of unconditional love, Leander finds the courage to stand up for what he believes is right and pleads "not guilty" to the charges.<br><br>Throughout the trial, Leander's past is revealed, including the temptations that bring the accusations against him. By the end of the trial, Leander is once again reunited with a romantic interest from the past. But it may be too late to rekindle any love that remains, given the circumstances of the era and Leander's likely sentence.<br><br>Love is greater than hope or faith, but can Leander convince a jury that the love he shares with another man is natural?

Disappear with Me

As he lay awake in his prison cell, he heard the quiet ringing of keys as they jostled against a guard’s hip, and he vaguely remembered dreaming about the Oscar Wilde trial in 1895 and how that had affected their lives at the parish house. After that day, he hadn’t thought about it much, but he did suppose Mrs. Dawson had been right. Maybe the argument against people like him was rooted in jealousy.


He certainly didn’t believe there was anything unnatural about the way he felt about Raphael, Emil, or anyone else.


Wherever the hate was rooted, it certainly wasn’t rooted in love.


Even Christ left the judgment to his Father 21


Emil never slept another night in his own room. Even on the rare occasions when Leander was away, Emil slept in their shared bed in the rector’s bedroom.


Chapter 33