Emily Larkin's Blog - Posts Tagged "unmasking-miss-appleby"

Unmasking Miss Appleby debuts next month, and I’d like to introduce you to the hero, Lord Cosgrove (Marcus) and the heroine, Charlotte Appleby—or, as the hero knows her, Mr. Albin.

Yes, you read that correctly: Marcus thinks that Charlotte is a man. In fact, he’s just hired her to be his new secretary.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll share some of Marcus and Charlotte’s opinions on various subjects, as expressed in Unmasking Miss Appleby.

MARRIAGE

Let’s start with Marcus...





Marcus is an earl and a widower. His views on marriage are the result of painful experience:

“Take my advice, Albin. Never marry a beautiful woman.”

“No, sir,” Charlotte said, automatically, and then her brain caught up with her ears. What?

Cosgrove must have seen the confusion on her face. “My wife married me for my earldom and my money. Beauty, in exchange for wealth.” His mouth twisted into an ironic, humorless smile. “I was fool enough to believe it was a love match.”

“Oh.” How should she respond to an admission like that? “I’m sorry, sir.”

Cosgrove shrugged, dismissing her sympathy, and stretched out his legs towards the fire, still cradling the brandy glass in his hands. “I learned a valuable lesson. Believe me, I shan’t make the same mistake again.”

Poor Marcus. He's learned his lesson when it comes to wives. The next time he marries he wants a marriage of convenience, or, as he describes it to himself:

A cordial relationship with a woman for whom he felt a degree of respect and affection. A sensible woman. A woman who wouldn’t indulge in histrionics or affaires. A woman with whom he’d have careful, amicable sex.

That was what he wanted—what he knew he wanted—and yet part of him wished for more.

As I said before, poor Marcus. But enough of him! Let's move on to Charlotte.





Charlotte is an orphan and a spinster. Her views on marriage are much simpler than Marcus’s. In fact, they can be summed up in one sentence:

“I shall never marry.”

It doesn't look very hopeful for them, does it?


[Images courtesy of the Rijksmuseum's collection of public domain images.]

Lord Cosgrove, the hero of Unmasking Miss Appleby is a man. The heroine, Charlotte, is a woman who’s pretending to be a man. She’s doing an excellent job of it, but there are admittedly some areas where she lacks experience.

Boxing is one of these areas.





Lord Cosgrove is an outstanding boxer who regularly spars with Gentleman Jack. He enjoys a good fight. When he interviews Mr. Albin (Charlotte) for the position as his secretary, one of the questions he asks is:

“Can you fight?”

Albin blinked. “Fight?” He glanced down at his hands. “I guess so, sir. I’ve never tried. Why?”

Poor, innocent Charlotte! She’s about to encounter footpads—and while Cosgrove finds the experience exhilarating, Charlotte . . . doesn’t.

She looked around for her hat. It lay against the wall. She walked over to it on unsteady legs, picked it up, placed it on her head.

She tried to laugh as she turned back to Cosgrove. The sound came out with a slight wobble in it. “I’d heard London streets were dangerous.”

“Never doubt it,” Cosgrove said. “Come along, lad. Let’s get home. I need a drink.”

And with that drink comes a critique of Charlotte’s fighting skills . . .

“Brandy?”

Charlotte hesitated. Perhaps it would stop her hands shaking? Uncle Neville always said brandy cured all ailments. “Thank you, sir.”

Cosgrove poured two glasses and held one out to her.

Charlotte didn’t sip cautiously; she took a reckless mouthful. The brandy scorched her tongue, stung her nose, filled her mouth with heat. She swallowed. The heat burned down her throat into her belly.

“If you will forgive me for saying so, Albin . . . you would benefit from some instruction in the science of boxing.”

“There’s a science to it, sir?” She drank another mouthful. The heat expanded through her body.

Cosgrove paused, his glass halfway to his mouth. For a moment he stared at her, his eyebrows raised in disbelief, and then he said, “Of course there’s a science to it.”

Which leads to Charlotte’s first boxing lesson . . .



[Image: Detail from Jack Broughton’s Rules, public domain, courtesy of Wikipedia]

Lord Cosgrove, the hero of Unmasking Miss Appleby is a man. The heroine, Charlotte, is a woman who’s pretending to be a man (Mr. Albin).

Charlotte is an educated woman. She can read French, Latin and Greek, but she doesn’t know how to tie a neckcloth, ride astride, or throw a punch. These are all skills she is about to learn . . .

NECKCLOTHS

One of the very first things Lord Cosgrove (Marcus) notices about Mr. Albin is his neckcloth.

Albin’s neckcloth was atrociously tied. It added to his appearance of youthfulness.

Marcus isn’t a dandy, but he does like to dress well. His secretary’s neckcloths are a great trial to him.

“I am perfectly capable of dressing myself.” His gaze fell on Albin’s neckcloth, lopsided and somewhat wrinkled. “Unlike some of us.”

Albin raised a hand and fumbled with his neckcloth.

“Don’t. You’re making it worse.”

So much of a trial, in fact, that Marcus finally takes matters into his own hands.

Cosgrove’s expression grew pained. “Albin, I must insist—I really must insist—that you learn to tie a respectable neckcloth.”

Charlotte touched the knot of muslin at her throat. “What’s wrong with it, sir?”

“An organ-grinder’s monkey could tie a neater neckcloth.” Cosgrove pushed away from the windowsill. “Upstairs with you. It’s time you had a lesson.”

Personally, I think I'd be as bad at tying neckcloths as Charlotte is. They look fearfully intricate!




[Public domain image courtesy of Wikipedia.]

All books are books of the heart—otherwise why would you write them?—but some books dig themselves deeper into your heart than others.

Of the twenty-one books I’ve written (three of which shall never ever be published) there are two that are my deepest books of the heart. One is my first published book, Thief With No Shadow, and the other is Unmasking Miss Appleby.

I enjoy writing fantasy novels, but I love writing historical romances, and in particular I love the regency period—as in LOVE this period. Which is purely to do with Georgette Heyer, whose books I read over and over and over again.

Unmasking Miss Appleby is the book I’d been wanting to write for years. It takes everything that I love about regency romances, but adds a little bit of what I love about fantasy. It’s Georgette Heyer with a dash of magic, Jane Austen meets Maleficent.

UNMASKING MISS APPLEBY

On her 25th birthday, Charlotte Appleby receives a most unusual gift from the Faerie godmother she never knew she had: the ability to change shape.

Penniless and orphaned, she sets off for London to make her fortune as a man. But a position as secretary to Lord Cosgrove proves unexpectedly challenging. Someone is trying to destroy Cosgrove and his life is increasingly in jeopardy.

As Charlotte plunges into London’s backstreets and brothels at Cosgrove’s side, hunting his persecutor, she finds herself fighting for her life—and falling in love…

Today Unmasking Miss Appleby is released into the world. I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I do.