In both of my first two books from the
Twins’ trilogy, the issue of whether an American could inherit a title/peerage
comes into play as part of the plot. In Angel Comes to the
Devil’s Keep, Angelica Lovelace’s parents had run
off to America, specifically the United States, to live because they married
against the wishes of their families and were disowned. As the third son,
Horace Lovelace never thought to inherit, but fate (especially in the hands of
a writer) has a way to make his inheritance a reality, while staying within the
law of the land at that time. For Lovelace, in determining whether he could
inherit a peerage in England after living in the United States for more than
twenty years, we must first consider that he and his wife were both born in
England. However, the question would arrive as to whether they became American
citizens by denouncing their English roots or perhaps by simply living in the
States and “presenting” themselves in business and socially as an “American.”
Moreover, if Lovelace can inherit, what happens to his son’s rights to the
earldom when the boy comes of age? What laws would affect the Lovelace’s
situation when he returns to England?