Duchess of Sin (42 page)
Dear Reader,
A while back, I read a book by Paul Collins called Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books, that stated that a writer’s characters
can no more take over a story than an eggplant can take over a kitchen. I had to laugh at the image of a bossy eggplant marching
into my kitchen (and I sort of wish it could take over in there, because I’m a terrible cook), but I have to disagree about
the characters.
Sometimes we’re lucky enough to meet a character who comes so vividly to life in our imagination that their story must be
told—and they insist it has to be told their way! One such character for me was Lady Anna Blacknall.
Anna was the sister of Eliza Blacknall, the heroine of my first “Daughters of Erin” book, COUNTESS OF SCANDAL. When I started
writing that first novel, I knew Anna would have her own story, but I wasn’t sure yet what it would be. Then I really “met”
her, and she was so many things that I wish I could be: blond, tall, extroverted, a good card player. Even worse—she was really
nice. She practically sat down by my desk and told me what her story would be. I just had to find the right hero for her,
and he presented himself as the dark, strong, mysterious Duke of Adair. A good match for the passionate and rebellious Anna,
and the two of them were more than a match for me. She told me their love story, and I just had to keep up and write it all
down just as she wanted.
Writing DUCHESS OF SIN was a wild ride, and I was so sorry to say good-bye to Anna and Conlan at the end! (Luckily we’ll see
them again in the third book, LADY OF SEDUCTION. You can also find excerpts and historical background on the books at my website
http://laurelmckee.net
.)
I never could have kept up with Anna and her Duke without lots of tea and sugary desserts to see me through. Since these books
are set in Ireland, writing them and picturing that country made me crave some of my grandmother’s old recipes. This is one
of my favorites: Sticky Toffee Pudding. It’s a great inspiration!
• 1 cup plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¾ cup pitted dates
• 1 ¼ cups boiling water
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch round or square baking dish. Sift flour and baking powder onto a sheet of waxed
paper. Chop the dates fine. Place in a small bowl and add boiling water and baking soda; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar
until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until blended. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add date mixture to
the batter and fold until blended with a rubber spatula. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake until pudding is set and
firm on top, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack.
Sauce:
Combine butter, cream, and brown sugar in a small, heavy saucepan; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil gently
over medium low heat until mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. Preheat broiler. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the sauce over the
pudding. Spread evenly on top. Place pudding under the broiler until the topping is bubbly, about 1 minute. Serve immediately,
spooned into dessert bowls. Drizzle with remaining toffee sauce and top with a spoonful of whipped cream.
Enjoy!
Praise for Laurel McKee and Countess of Scandal
Countess of Scandal
Countess of Scandal
“I am completely hooked on this series already—and I was from nearly the first page of this book! Ms. McKee tells a masterful
story of love, rebellion, and beneath it all, devotion to a land and people… Elizabeth and Will’s emotional attachment, as
well as the obvious physical chemistry they share, leaps from the page.”
“Ms. Laurel McKee’s magical pen captivates you instantaneously! She has fashioned blistering sensual romantic scenes and a
love story that will be forever etched in your mind.”
“Laurel McKee captures the excitement and magic of romance.”
—Cathy Maxwell,
New York Times
bestselling
author of
The Earl Claims His Wife
“Eliza’s and Will’s happy-ever-after, once reached, is both powerfully satisfying and forever engraved on the reader’s mind
and heart. Every word sings with unyielding intensity… Beautifully written,
Countess of Scandal
reads like a captivating love story of epic proportions. The ultimate page-turner.”—
RomanceJunkies.com
on
Countess of Scandal
“A hero to steal your heart!”
—Elizabeth Boyle,
New York Times
bestselling author
“An immensely satisfying and sophisticated blend of history and romance. I loved every gorgeous, breathtaking page!”
—Julianne MacLean,
USA Today
bestselling
author of
When a Stranger Loves Me
“
Countess of Scandal
delivers on all fronts. The story raced along, zigging and zagging from Dublin to the countryside, from uneasy peace to all-out
war. And the romance… very satisfying!”
“A vivid historical tale with breathtaking characters.”
—Michelle Willingham, author of
Taming Her Irish Warrior
“Captivating and poignant! Laurel McKee wields her pen with grace and magic.”
—Lorraine Heath,
New York Times
bestselling
author of
Midnight Pleasures with a Scoundrel
Copyright“Rich, vivid, and passionate.”
—Nicola Cornick, author of
The Undoing of a Lady
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2010 by Laurel McKee
Excerpt from
Lady of Seduction
copyright © 2010 by Laurel McKee
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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First eBook Edition: December 2010
ISBN: 978-0-446-57411-2
