Stephanie Laurens
The Tempting of Thomas Carrick (A Cynster Novel)
Release Date: February 24th, 2015
Thomas Carrick is determined to make his own life in the bustling port city of
Glasgow, far from the demands of the Carrick clan, eventually with an appropriate
wife on his arm. But disturbing events on his family's estate force Thomas to
return to the Scottish countryside—where he is forced to ask for help from the
last woman he wants to face. Thomas has never forgotten Lucilla Cynster and
the connection that seethes between them, but to marry Lucilla would mean
embracing a life he's adamant is not for him.
Strong-willed and passionate, Lucilla knows Thomas is hers—her fated lover,
husband, protector, mate. He is the only man for her, just as she is his one true
love. How can he ignore a bond stronger than reason and choose a different
path? She's determined to fight for their future, and while she cannot command
him, she has enticements of her own to wield when it comes to tempting Thomas
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When Devil, the most infamous member of the Cynster family, is caught in a
compromising position with plucky governess Honoria Wetherby, he astonishes
the entire town by offering his hand in marriage. No one dreamed this scandalous
rake would ever take a bride. And as society mamas swooned at the loss of
England′s most eligible bachelor, Devil′s infamous Cynster cousins began to place
But Honoria wasn′t about to bend society′s demands and marry a man "just"
because they′d been found together virtually unchaperoned. No, she craved
adventure, and while solving the murder of a young Cynster cousin fit the bill
for a while, she decided that once the crime was solved she′d go off to see the
world. But the scalding heat of her unsated desire for Devil soon had Honoria
craving a very different sort of excitement. Could her passion for Devil cause her
to embrace the enchanting peril of a lifelong adventure of the heart?
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens
Stephanie Laurens began writing romances
as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly
became a career when her first novel was accepted for publication, and with
entirely becoming alacrity, she gave up writing about facts in favor of writing
Laurens's novels are set in the time period of the British Regency, and her settings
range from Scotland to India. Laurens has published fifty works of historical
romance, including 29 New York Times bestsellers. All her works are continuously
available in print and digital formats in English worldwide, and have been
translated into many other languages. An international bestseller, among other
Stephanie's email contactsaccolades Laurens has received the Romance Writers
of America prestigious RITA Award for Best Romance Novella 2008, for The Fall of
Her continuing novels featuring the Cynster family are widely regarded as classics
of the genre. Other series include the Bastion Club Novels and the Black Cobra
Quartet. For information on upcoming releases and updates on novels yet to
come, visit Stephanie's website.
Website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorStephanieLaurens
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9241.Stephanie_Laurens
He knew they had to stop, to cease and desist before he lost all hope of ever
stepping back from her. Of ever letting her go.
But her hand remained on his cheek, her touch scalding in a way that had
nothing to do with heat, effortlessly holding him captive. Holding his senses,
snaring them in a net of want from which he couldn’t break free.
His senses and his mind were literally reeling.
She seemed to know, to realize.
But instead of comprehending the danger, pulling back, and letting him go, she
reached—with her lips, with her body, with the gentle pressure of her hand on his
A sudden clattering clang of hooves on cobbles snapped them both free; on a
mutual gasp, both pulled back from the kiss.
The sharp clatter was followed by shouts and calls.
For one instant, they remained locked together, gazing into each other’s eyes.
Both of them were breathing rapidly. His pulse thudded in his ears.
Then the calls rising from below hauled them both fully back to the here and
They stepped apart. Side by side, they moved to the window.
That end of the disused wing overlooked the stable yard. On the cobbles below,
they saw Nigel and Nolan, still mounted, their horses dancing, infected by the
brothers’ transparently ebullient spirits.
Nigel had called for the stablemen—that had been the summons Thomas and
Lucilla had heard—but Sean, Mitch, and Fred were taking their time.
Thomas watched as the stablemen slowly ambled across the yard and—it
seemed grudgingly—held Nigel’s and Nolan’s horses. Apparently oblivious to
the almost sullen disapprobation radiating from their clansmen, the brothers
continued exchanging comments with each other as they dismounted, then
haphazardly flung their reins toward the stablemen and started toward the
There were no greetings exchanged between the stablemen and the young
masters of the house. As far as Thomas could see, there hadn’t even been any
true acknowledgment of each other—a remarkable contrast to when he’d ridden
Frowning, he stepped back from the window. Less than a second’s thought
sufficed to suggest that making his presence known to Nigel sooner rather than
later would serve everyone, Manachan especially, best.
He looked at Lucilla. She was still gazing down at the stable yard, at the
stablemen leading the horses away. Even though he couldn’t see her eyes, from
her pensive, assessing expression it was clear that she’d detected the strain
between the two groups of men and, like him, found it curious.
“I should go and break the news to Nigel.” He took another step back. When
she turned to look at him, he pointed over his shoulder at the door just along the
corridor. “That’s the door to the gallery in the main wing.” Briefly, he met her
He didn’t wait to see if she would reply; he turned on his heel, strode to the
Lucilla watched him go. He left the door ajar; whether he’d meant to or not, it
was a clear invitation to follow. Which she fully intended to do.
The kiss...had been everything she’d wanted. Even more than she’d dreamed of.
But now Nigel and Nolan had arrived, such personal matters had to be set aside—
Somewhat to his surprise, she made no demur at his taking control; instead,
she walked beside him, courtesy of the narrowness of the corridor rather close,
her velvet riding skirt brushing the material of his trousers. Once he was sure she
was, indeed, consenting to leave the scene, he eased his grip, then released her
He would have increased the distance between them, but there was no space.
Lucilla found herself dealing with a rather odd fracturing of her awareness. On
one level, she was increasingly exercised over the matter of the Burns sisters’
deaths, and very conscious of the tug of duty on that score, yet simultaneously
her sensual awareness was reveling in Thomas’s nearness. In his touch, however
The toe of her riding boot hit something, and she stumbled. “Oh!” She pitched
Thomas caught her and hauled her upright. Hauled her to him.
She ended in his arms. Locked against him, her palms flat against his chest.
The first thing she registered was the heat of him, the warmth that seeped
through the layers of fabric and sank into her.
Into her flesh, feeding her senses.
They came alive on a giddy rush of anticipation.
She raised her gaze to his eyes. In the same instant registered the sudden
tension that had gripped him, that had turned taut, resilient muscle into granite
and steel. The arms that held her so securely felt less malleable than iron.
But it was his eyes that most gave him away; the gold-flecked amber burned.
She didn’t stop to think. To question.
To give him time to snap his shields back into place.
The Lady might help and create the chance, but it was up to her to seize it.
Stretching up on her toes, she barely paused to whisper “Thank you” before she
For one instant, her confidence wavered. What if he didn’t respond?
Then she sensed it—a sharp hitch in his breathing, a leaping, uncontrollable,
She’d felt that reaction in herself—she recognized it in him.
All doubt evaporated. All caution fell.
She pressed her kiss on him, sure, certain.
Stepping boldly into him, she slid her hands up his chest and over his shoulders,
savoring the heat and the strength beneath her palms, then she reached further,
to his nape, and slid her fingers into the thick, heavy locks of his hair.
The feathery touch caught her, steadied her.
All her senses alive, she turned her mind from conquest to persuasion.
Drawing one hand from the silk of his hair, she placed her palm against one lean
cheek and gave herself over to the communion of the kiss.
Thomas was lost, his anchor gone, swept away by a tide of ferocious yearning.
His, but equally hers. Her longing had poured into him, inciting a response he had
no hope of reining back. Of taming. Of restraining.
He wanted her; he always had.
But the part of him that wanted her—still, regardless—was the part of him he
normally kept leashed, controlled. Hidden.
It hadn’t been her kiss, the sharp and shocking pressure of her lips against his,
that had shattered the chains, that had broken the lock and flung wide the doors
It hadn’t been the searing heat of her touch as she’d slid her hands up his chest
and over his shoulders, an evocative, provocative come-hither act that yet had
Even her fingers tangling in his hair—he was more than experienced enough to
But the feel of her palm, her fingers, lightly riding against his cheek...
It was as if by that touch she’d tamed him. Slayed all resistance and claimed the
He’d always known she was dangerous. That she and she alone could rule him.
He hadn’t wanted that. He still didn’t want that. Yet...
Her lips tasted of a heady blend of rose and nectar. He couldn’t resist the
THE TEMPTING OF THOMAS CARRICK INTERVIEW:
Thomas and Lucilla are both especially strong and stubborn characters, as so
many of your heroes and heroines are. Is there a particular reason for this a) in
general, and b) in this particular case?
In the general sense, I’ve always used strong characters because the scale and
intensity of emotional clashes between such characters is more powerful, has the
potential to be more wide-ranging, and is also likely to strike brighter sparks. A
strong character doesn’t give way when someone opposes them or gets in the
way of their will and drive—they immediately push back, and that refusal to back
away is one of the key elements that leads such a pair of characters deeper and
deeper into Cupid’s snare as they are forced to adjust and adapt to each other--a
critical element of establishing an emotional partnership.
There’s a general assumption that strong and confident characters will have an
easier time dealing with love, however, in reality I think it’s the opposite, and such
characters find the existence of an emotion strong enough to make them change
Which brings me rather neatly to Thomas and Lucilla. He is the ultimate strong
character with a very powerful, emotional, and deeply personal reason to
shut himself off from love. Against that, Lucilla, an equally strong character, is
unswervingly convinced that they are fated to love and marry—but she, too, has a
few lessons to learn in what love—even a fated love—will demand.
In short, my motivation for using strong characters can be summed up as: the
stronger they are, the more they resist and, ultimately, the harder they fall.
Readers first met Thomas Carrick in the Cynster holiday special By Winter’s
Light. Did his earlier meeting with Lucilla described in that book affect the pair’s
That earlier meeting in By Winter’s Light sets the stage for Thomas and
Lucilla’s romance. Both of them leave that first encounter with the knowledge
that the other could be their future spouse. Lucilla is ready to accept that Thomas
is her fated future husband, lover, and consort, but Thomas, having experienced a
complementary visceral connection to Lucilla, concludes that, as he wishes to
avoid love, then she is someone he would be wise to avoid.
So from the instant they part after that first encounter, they are set on
opposing tracks—Lucilla expecting and waiting for Thomas to return to her side
and claim her hand, and Thomas doing his level best to stay far away.
It’s a standoff, until the actions at the start of The Tempting of Thomas
Carrick force—literally force—them together again.
Deerhounds feature in By Winter’s Light and also in The Tempting of Thomas
I needed a large dog to accompany Thomas through the snowstorm in By
Winter’s Light, a dog big enough to physically assist, and also the sort of dog that
might have been in such a community—a gentry family in the Scottish uplands of
the period. So I went searching for breeds of dogs, and stumbled upon Scottish
deerhounds. The more I read about them, the more perfect they seemed, and so
Hesta padded onto my stage, and from there, the addition of Artemis and Apollo
The dogs are fascinating—a shaggy, curly-coated, quite large breed built for
speed and with superb eyesight. They are sight-hounds, and also track on the
ground by scent, and as their name suggests, were specifically bred to hunt deer
However, the real impact of the deerhounds, story-wise, doesn’t occur until
the next book, A Match for Marcus Cynster, in which the packs we learn about
through The Tempting of Thomas Carrick, come into their own and play an active
role in Marcus and his lady’s adventures.
Both By Winter’s Light and The Tempting of Thomas Carrick are set in Scotland, in
the south western uplands. Were there any particular challenges in using such a
By Winter’s Light and The Tempting of Thomas Carrick are both centered
on the Vale of Casphairn, which was a setting first introduced in Scandal’s Bride,
the story of Richard and Catriona, Lucilla and Marcus’s parents (more on that
below). Thus the settings for the recent books were not a matter of choice, but
rather mandated, a necessary return to a previous place.
Such a wild country setting is very useful on the one hand, and a drawback on
the other. The rugged beauty and landscape is a plus, while the isolation and
the distance from any larger town or place of social congregation severely limits
the opportunities for social events, even country house dinners. Consequently,
the action in the story remains at all times strongly focused on the interaction
between the two principal characters, with little to no distraction from external
events. That puts a heavier burden on the romance plot than would be the case in
a more urban setting, but that does mean the romance dominates and is always
front and center. So there’s positives and negatives in using such a setting, but,
overall, such settings definitely have their place when writing romances.
In this book, you also take readers to Glasgow—you paint quite a cosmopolitan
picture of the town. How true to life is that depiction?
I admit that my first mental vision of Glasgow was as a heavily
industrialized town, centered on shipping on the Clyde. While the importance of
shipping on the Clyde was correct, in the mid-1800s, Glasgow was a thriving
merchant center with distinct aspirations toward the sophistication, polish, and
civilized amenity we might associate with a seaport like Boston. In this period,
Glasgow was a major merchant hub, and it was therefore highly prosperous, and
the resulting wealth found expression in the houses and squares, the well-
appointed offices and genteel clubs and in the evolving social scene.
Readers are familiar with Casphairn Manor, and the Vale of Casphairn, but the
nearby village is Carsphairn. Was there a reason for the difference?
This is one of those tales of things that “would not happen now.” I wrote
the first novel featuring the Vale of Casphairn and Casphairn Manor back in the
days before Google Maps. Or any sort of satellite imagery, or even ready access
to detailed maps via the internet. At the time, I had several detailed maps of
England, but as the village of Carsphairn is a very small settlement, it was shown
in small—not to say tiny and non-expandable—font. So I read the name as
Casphairn, not the correct Carsphairn.
Years later, when I was writing Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue, where
the characters spend time in the Vale and at the manor, I was using Google Maps
to study the areas to the east of where I had positioned the Vale, and when I
zoomed in...I saw that the village name was really Carsphairn! Horrors! Luckily, I
don’t think I’ve ever actually said the village itself was called Casphairn, only the
Vale and the manor, but it was too late to change those—they’d already been
written into history. So the Vale and the manor, both of which are fictitious,
remain as Casphairn, while the village is correctly named Carsphairn.
Out of curiosity, I did go back to the original map. To the naked eye, it still
looks like Casphairn—only with the help of a strong magnifying glass can you see
Lucilla’s position as healer to the Vale community, and, indeed, all people under
The Lady’s protection, features strongly in this book. How common were such
Despite the rise of more formal medicine and the doctors who practiced it,
traditional folk healers—those we might now term homeopathic healers or
herbalists—were not uncommon into the late 1800s in England. In country areas,
they would almost always be the first consulted, even by those living in the larger,
wealthier houses. The history of herbal remedies is very deep and broad
throughout the British Isles, and the more isolated the community, the greater
the distance from a major town, the more likely that the people would turn first
to the local “healer.” Midwifery and the treatment of common ailments remained
largely the province of such healers even into the 1900s.
That said, as mentioned in this book and the next, in this period, when it
came to interacting with the apparatus of law and order, for instance in formally
reporting a death, the “doctor”—meaning a man formally trained in the western
medical tradition—would be the one sent for.
This book is the first of the Cynster Next Generation Novels, and will be followed
by Lucilla’s twin brother, Marcus’s story in June. Are there more Cynster Next
Yes, indeed! As By Winter’s Light was in essence a pivotal volume, shifting
focus from the original Bar Cynster generation to the lives of their near-adult
children, and within the tale of By Winter’s Light were the seeds of Lucilla’s
romance, then her book had to come first, in The Tempting of Thomas Carrick.
And within Lucilla’s story lie the seeds of Marcus’s story, and as he is her twin, his
book, A Match for Marcus Cynster, had to come next. It will be released on May
But at the end of The Tempting of Thomas Carrick, and even more
definitely at the end of A Match for Marcus Cynster, we catch up with the other
Cynsters now facing up to the challenge of marriage and finding a suitable
spouse. We see and appreciate that all is not going to be smooth sailing for such
very robust individuals, neither the males nor the females. There are at least 6
more Cynster Next Generation novels to come—the romances of Devil’s three
children, Sebastian, Michael, and Louisa, and those of the remaining “older
group”—Prudence, Christopher, and Antonia Rawlings. After that...well, I’m sure
that by the time I finish Louisa’s tale, we’ll know a lot more about Annabelle,
Juliet, and Therese. And I already know what Calvin and Carter get up to, which
should prove a lot of fun. Lots more to enjoy!
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