The Beauvisage Family series intertwines with
Rakes & Rebels: The Raveneau Family:
1 – SILVER STORM (André & Devon)
2 – SMUGGLER’S MOON (Sebastian & Julia)
3 – THE SECRET OF LOVE (Gabriel & Isabella)
4 – SURRENDER THE STARS (Ryan & Lindsay)
~ coming in August, 2017: HIS MAKE-BELIEVE BRIDE (Justin & Mouette)
5 – HIS RECKLESS BARGAIN (Nathan & Adrienne)
6 – TEMPEST (Adam & Cathy)
You can see an intertwining list of both series at the end of this book.
Big news! An audiobook version of HEART OF FRAGILE STARS is coming for Christmas, 2017! It’s narrated by the fabulous Tim Campbell and it really takes this story to a new level. Take a look HERE.
If you haven’t read my all-time bestseller, SILVER STORM (Rakes & Rebels: The Raveneau Family, Book 1), I hope you’ll download your free copy and begin the unforgettable tale of André and Devon Raveneau. It is set in 1781 and features a cameo appearance by Alec Beauvisage, son of Jean-Philippe and Antonia.
Meanwhile, just after the Author’s Note, you’ll find an excerpt of CAROLINE, set in 1783 Philadelphia. If you’d like to spend more time with Jean-Philippe and Antonia, they are very much part of this story—as are Pierre DuBois and Danielle, Jean-Philippe’s mother.
My newest release, THE SECRET OF LOVE, is Book 3 in Rakes & Rebels: The Raveneau Family. I’m very excited about it and I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!
Once again, my heartfelt thanks for your support, encouragement, and interest in my books. I welcome your comments and suggestions, and I hope that you’ll write to me at [email protected]. I promise to reply!
Warmest wishes,
~ Cynthia
~ Author’s Note ~
Dear Reader,
I hope that you have enjoyed reading HEART OF FRAGILE STARS, which I have wanted to write since CAROLINE was first published in 1977. CAROLINE is the story of Jean-Philippe and Antonia’s son, Alec, and the rest of his family are very much part of the cast of characters. Soon after meeting Caroline, Alec tells her the story of his parents’ breathtaking romance, and readers have asked me to write a book for Jean-Philippe and Antonia ever since.
In January, 2015, author Kathryn Le Veque approached me and asked that I join her, Christi Caldwell, Suzan Tisdale, Eliza Knight, and Eva Devon in a collection called WITH DREAMS ONLY OF YOU. Each novella, set in a different time period, would share the common theme of a Roman gladius, inscribed by a soldier for his wife shortly before his death. I immediately realized that this was my chance to tell Jean-Philippe and Antonia’s story at last…
You can follow the Beauvisage family through the years in Rakes & Rebels: The Beauvisage Family novels, including CAROLINE, SPRING FIRES, and HER DANGEROUS VISCOUNT. You can also return to Chateau du Soleil in YOU AND NO OTHER, set in 1526. It’s one of my personal favorites of all the books I’ve written.
You can also return to Château du Soleil in my newest book, THE SECRET OF LOVE (Rakes & Rebels: The Raveneau Family, Book 3). You’ll meet the swoon-worthy Gabriel St. Briac and his artist love, Lady Isabella Trevarre, in an adventurous romance set in Napoleonic France!
HEART OF FRAGILE STARS and THE SECRET OF LOVE have just been transformed into fantastic audiobooks by the gifted narrator Tim Campbell. If you listen to one, I promise you’ll be hooked! Take a look HERE.
Thanks again for reading HEART OF FRAGILE STARS! I welcome your emails at [email protected] and I promise to reply!
Warmest appreciative wishes to each one of you,
~ Cynthia
Cynthia Wright says: Up next is an excerpt of CAROLINE. Major Alexandre Beauvisage is returning from the Revolutionary War when he discovers an injured female with no memory of her past. Against his better judgment, Alec takes Caro home with him to Philadelphia and quickly falls under the innocent foundling’s spell. I hope you’ll enjoy this excerpt!
Enjoy an excerpt:
Caroline
Rakes & Rebels: The Beauvisage Family, Book 2
Chapter 1
One could hardly imagine a more perfect October day, for the autumn of 1783 had painted the Connecticut landscape in her most glorious colors. The low mountains were a riot of flaming oranges, reds, and yellows which contrasted sharply with the clear azure of the sky. The air had a clean chill to it, and Alexandre Beauvisage, winding his way between the trees astride a handsome stallion, felt very good indeed. He had been brimming with a rich euphoria ever since the final Peace Treaty had been signed in Paris just weeks ago. The last eight years of war had been long but victory made all the bloodshed and tragedy seem worthwhile. The cost of freedom had been high, but that shining prize belonged to America at last.
Granted, the British had laid down their arms to General Washington at Yorktown in 1781. Only the most sporadic fighting had occurred since then, and the majority of the American soldiers had been able to go home to their families long ago.
Alec grimaced as he thought back. All through the Revolutionary War, he’d only occasionally played the part of soldier. Instead, his role had been a mixture of spy and scout and he had been given the trickiest and most dangerous assignments.
Despite the terrible aspects of war, Alec had to concede that there was a certain thrill in the role he played. He’d roamed the swamps of South Carolina with Frances Marion, captained a sleek privateer, and drunk cognac with Washington and Lafayette on the banks of the Hudson. He had been required to put his ingenuity and intelligence to full use, and the constant danger had been stimulating. Perhaps the return to full-time everyday life would prove boring?
Alec’s reverie was broken when he glimpsed a bright patch of color atop the low stone wall that snaked through the woods. Reining in Ivan, his horse, he dismounted and walked back to discover a packet of garments drawn hastily together inside a piece of bottle-green silk. Before he could open it, a soft moan rose from the trees to his left. Instantly alert, Alec followed the noise and soon spotted its source—a small form lying at the foot of a bright maple tree about two dozen feet away. Cautiously, he drew a pistol from his belt and moved forward. From a distance, the figure appeared to be that of an unconscious young boy. The lad wore in ill-fitting gray breeches, a loose white work smock, and an oversized dark-green tricorne hat which obscured his face.
Drawing near, Alec replaced his pistol and knelt down beside the still form, noticing first that there was no sign of blood. His dark brows came together at the sight of two suspiciously lovely shapes outlined against the loose shirt.
“What have we here?” he muttered in bewilderment while drawing off the green hat. Lustrous honey-colored hair spilled out over the rusty leaves and Alec let out a low whistle as he bent over the girl’s face. She looked little more than eighteen, and for a moment he felt that he must be dreaming. The girl had the face of an angel. Her eyes were fringed by long lashes that brushed her creamy skin. Alec’s gaze came to rest on appealing lips. Gently, he raised her head and cradled it in his arms.
“Can you hear me?” he asked softly, but received no response. She was warm and breathing evenly, as if merely asleep.
Almost instinctively, he tipped her chin up with his forefinger and grazed her mouth with his own. When he felt a faint answer from her lips, he drew back with a wry smile.
Then, with a sigh, he murmured aloud,”What do you suppose I’ve got myself into this time?”
* * *
The girl felt as if she was gliding down to earth from a great height, and seemed to touch ground with only the smallest jolt. She opened her eyes slowly and looked up into a most compelling face. It was tanned, lean, and so handsome, framed by shining raven-black hair drawn casually back into a queue. The man wore a close-trimmed beard, but it failed to disguise his charming half-smile or the flash of his white teeth. Above a straight nose gleamed eyes of an amazing turquoise color which held her own almost against her will. As she became more fully cons
cious she realized that she felt no fear, although he held her in his arms and his muscles were hard against her cheek.
Alec, for his part, found himself looking into warm caramel-brown eyes flecked with gold. The girl was simply exquisite! “M’lady, I would be extremely gratified if you could attempt to explain your presence here. I must confess to a curiosity that grows stronger by the minute!”
As the girl struggled to sit up, Alec braced her with his arm. Gingerly, she raised a hand to touch what proved to be a lump on the side of her head. He gently parted her glossy hair and looked closely at the swollen area. His forehead creased at the sight of the nasty bump and a patch of dried blood.
“You are hurt. You must tell me what happened to you. What is your name and where do you come from?”
The girl covered her eyes as though collecting her thoughts. Then, slowly, she drew her hand away, her eyes brimming with sudden tears.
“Oh, sir, I don’t seem to be able to remember! I cannot recall a thing—not even my own name!”
* * *
Several minutes of questioning brought Alec no closer to the truth. He surmised that the girl had probably been riding and caught her head on a low-hanging branch. Perhaps something had frightened the horse, causing her to lose control. In any event, the steed was gone, and Alec was left with an injured woman-child dressed in boys’ clothing who had no memory of her past.
He had propped her up against the stone wall and was pacing through the crisp leaves. The girl was alternately investigating the contents of the green silk bundle and watching Alec stride to and fro. He moved with a natural grace and suppressed strength that were easy to admire. His fawn breeches were close-fitting and showed the play of long muscles in his thighs with each step he took. Leather boots, softly buffed, rose to his knees, and a linen shirt was unlaced halfway to reveal his hard chest.
Suddenly the girl’s soft voice broke the rhythm of Alec’s rustling stride through the leaves.
“Sir, you wouldn’t be a pirate by chance, would you? Perhaps you’re ashore to bury your treasure…?”
He laughed. “What gives you that outrageous notion?”
“You look the way I suppose pirates must look. Quite swashbuckling and adventurous! Rather unscrupulous, too.” She broke off at the sight of his sudden grin. “I’m sorry about that last. It wasn’t a very nice thing to say, was it?”
Alec dropped down beside her and clasped one soft hand between his strong ones.
“Don’t apologize. I must confess that you hit quite near the truth. My father was indeed a pirate—a French buccaneer of the first water. If the war had not intervened, perhaps I would have followed in his footsteps!” Alec’s smile held a hint of mockery, but there was warmth in his eyes. They darkened, however, as the problem at hand returned to his thoughts. Gesturing at the clothes which lay on the piece of green silk, he asked:
“You don’t see anything there that sparks your memory?” He had already been through the bundle himself, but found little that looked informative. There was another simple white smock, one of the loose shirts worn by Colonial men as part of their working attire. Also inside the bundle were a few items of well-made underclothing, a lacy fichu, and some dainty shoes. Lastly, there was a lovely gown, simple but pretty, the color of buttercups and trimmed in lace. Inside of it were wrapped a fine china hairbrush, two satin ribbons, and a bar of scented soap.
The girl looked up and shook her head in bewilderment. “I cannot place a thing. This is all so confusing—and frightening! Sir, what will you do with me?” Tears gleamed in her brown eyes.
Alec reached out and gathered her into his arms. Although he was uncomfortably aware of her alluring curves, he managed to stroke her hair in a brotherly fashion.
“What did you imagine I would do—leave you here alone in the woods? I may look unscrupulous, but I do have a streak of decency! You shall come with me back to my home and we’ll find out who you are. In the meantime, perhaps you’ll recover your memory.”
When she hugged him, Alec could smell the sweetness of clover in her rich hair. Her voice was warm with excitement in his ear:
“I truly appreciate your kindness. Could you please tell me your name? And what shall my own be?”
“Ah, yes! Forgive me for neglecting to introduce myself. I am Alexandre Beauvisage, but you must call me Alec. As for your own name, it should be your choice.”
“How lovely to be able to choose one’s own name!” A smile lit her face. “And yours is wonderful and most fitting. ‘Handsome face’!”
He colored beneath his beard and bit his lip. “Yes, unfortunately, that is the French meaning. A constant source of embarrassment to me, I assure you.”
“But why? Certainly it is perfect for you! I should think it would only prove embarrassing if you were a homely man.”
Alec’s thoughts were elsewhere. “You must have some education in the French language. You know, that’s no small accomplishment for a female, especially one who has grown up during a time of war. You must have come from a good family….” His voice trailed off and he frowned. “Why, I wonder, were you running away?”
“Do you think that is what I was doing?”
“My dear, that is the only reasonable conclusion I can draw from this rather inexpert disguise. Also, you were far off the main road, miles from the nearest house. I can’t imagine what you were planning to do before you had this accident, and I feel certain that you were well on your way to being hopelessly lost.” He paused. “I suspect that you were running away in great haste from someone or something. Your belongings were quickly assembled…and you were taking an escape route to which you could not have given much thought. As a matter of fact, you must have deliberately crossed over the Boston Post Road some miles back.”
He glanced over at the girl next to him only to find her in perfect profile, staring dreamily into space. He lifted one honey-colored curl from her shoulder and flicked it across her nose. His voice held a note of ironic amusement.
“You do wonders for a man’s ego. I can see that you hold my conversation in high esteem!”
“Please do not be offended!” Relief spread across her face at the sight of his flickering smile. “You are teasing me! I was thinking about my name. I’ve made a choice.” She moved closer to him and paused for dramatic effect. “It is…Caroline. Don’t you think it’s lovely?”
She spoke the syllables with such warmth that the name Caroline did indeed sound beautiful. His face softened as he regarded this girl who was smiling at him so radiantly in the midst of what should have been a terrible crisis. She was lost, unable to remember anything, and perhaps worst of all, left in the woods with only a hot-blooded rogue to rely on. Gently, he touched her cheek and smiled.
“I believe that you have chosen a perfect name, little Caro.”
* * *
Twilight gathered quickly and air grew chilly. Caroline and Alec were both astride the black stallion, Ivan, who was patiently making his way through the trees. She sat in front and Alec held her securely around her petite waist. His nearness unnerved her, and during all the hours they had been riding she had found it difficult to think, though heaven knew she had plenty to think and worry about! She realized that the discomfort she felt wasn’t because he repulsed her; instead, it seemed that all her senses were filled with him. His arm was strong and her skin seemed to tingle beneath it. She would watch his brown hand holding the reins and find herself fascinated by its deft movements. She was leaning into his broad chest and his chin brushed the top of her head. She thought he smelled wonderful.
Riding into a clearing, Alec brought Ivan to a stand-still and Caroline came back down to earth.
“Well,” he inquired lightly, “how does this strike you as an inn? Ceilings of tree branches and carpets of leaves are the latest fashion, I’m told.”
She smiled up at him. “These accommodations look very comfortable.”
Indeed it was a lovely spot. The trees joined overhead to form
a perfect canopy and the blanket of leaves on the ground looked almost plush. Alec swung down from the horse’s back and reached up to grasp Caroline around her waist. He lifted her off Ivan and suddenly they were face to face, his hands still resting on her hips. He looked down into her brown-and-gold eyes and saw in them something he could not read. Moving his palms up her back slowly, Alec could feel the hot blood rising in him, and then Ivan pushed his nose against them and whinnied gustily.
Nervously, Caroline laughed and turned to pet the horse’s neck.
“Well, Ivan, I suppose you’d like to have the rest of those things off your back, too!”
It was not yet dark when the three of them set off through the trees to find a stream. They didn’t have far to go, and while Ivan drank and Caroline washed, Alec went in search of food and firewood. He had good luck and soon they were seated by a cozy fire, feasting on dried beef and johnnycake from his saddlebags, nuts, berries, and sweet water. They drank from a small wooden cup which Alec produced, explaining that he had carved it in camp early in the war and still carried it with him in his pack. After they finished eating, he leaned back against a tree to smoke a thin brown cheroot. Caroline sat nearer the fire, and as they talked he watched her face, which was framed by molten-gold firelight. Hair spilling over her shoulders, she looked poignantly young and vulnerable in her voluminous shirt.
“Will you tell me about the future?” she asked. “Where are we going? And what will you do with me after we get there?”
He smiled behind the thin curls of smoke which drifted up and dissolved into the darkness.
“Ah, yes, I imagine you must be filled with questions. We are going to Philadelphia, where I live. I’ve decided that after we arrive I shall install you at my parents’ home. It wouldn’t help you at all socially to be living at my house! As it is, if I were any sort of gentleman at all I’d marry you as soon as we encounter a parson.”
Heart of Fragile Stars Page 10
