Misty Urban thought we should all know a little more about Lucasta Lithwick, the heroine from her newest novel, Tell Me Sweet, so sit back and enjoy a little Character Interview between Lucasta and Lady Cranbury!
Lady Cranbury: Young lady, I read in all the papers this morning that the Honourable Mr. Jeremiah Falstead, after your exchange at Lady Clara Bellwether’s soiree last evening, reports you—I have it right here—“the most fascinating woman I have ever met.” That is high approbation, coming from Smart Jeremy.
Lucasta: I’m sure I don’t know why he should say such a thing. We’ve never spoken.
Lady C: Don’t be coy, girl. You spoke for some time. He stood up with you for the gavotte! Smart Jeremy never stands up with anybody.
Lucasta: No doubt out of fear that someone will tread on his shoe and take the polish off his diamonds. Your ladyship, is it true you have in your possession a pianoforte made by Cristofori?
Lady C: I’ll have you to play it if you explain how you fascinated Smart Jeremy.
Lucasta: I would not phrase it as fascination so much as indignation. You see—oh dear, how do I say this? He may have overheard me conversing with my friends—
Lady C: The Gorgons?
Lucasta [stiffly]: We refer to ourselves as Miss Gregoire’s Girls. Our friendship began at her Academy in Bath, where I am currently employed as the music teacher—or was, until my aunt required me to come to London to chaperone Cici through her Season—
Lady C: Ah yes, Miss Pevensey. She is a most taking little thing.
Lucasta: I adore her. She is the sweetest soul alive. As I was saying, at Miss Gregoire’s—
Lady C: You were explaining how you drew the attention of Smart Jeremy. Do bring us to the point soon, child. I’ve only so many years left in me.
Lucasta: Lady Cranbury, you will outlive us all.
Lady C: That is likely true, because of my many virtues. Is Falstead interesting himself in your cousin? How full of herself your aunt will be in that case! Patience Pevensey always was the most conniving baggage. She was throwing out lures to the Baron well before his first wife died, you know. We always supposed she meant for that coronet to sit upon her own head. Though after your mother disgraced the family—
Lucasta: I beg your pardon! My mother did not disgrace anyone. She loved and was true to my father until the day she died.
Lady C: A poor, foreign-born rector of some obscure parish in the Midlands? Your grandmother, the Dowager Viscountess Frotheringale, had fits over that marriage. Heard she struck your mother’s name from the family Bible.
Lucasta: Indeed her dislike of me is ongoing. She will never accept me.
Lady C: She’ll like you well enough if your Aunt Cornelia leaves her fortune to you, as she’s threatened to do.
Lucasta: I have had no indication that she intends such a thing.
Lady C: Well, it’s not likely to be your concern, is it? ’Twill be to the interest of your husband, if your aunt is as rich as they say, after all those clever marriages. You’ll do well to be as canny when you wed, child.
Lucasta: Thank you for that sound advice, but my immediate goal, once the Season is over, is to return to Bath and open my own musical conservatory.
Lady C: I wonder that your aunt should condone your going into trade.
Lucasta: Well, Aunt Pevensey does not, but she also does not condone supporting me out of the family coffers, and I must have some means of keeping body and soul together. My friends—
Lady C: Perhaps they can explain to me how you fascinated the grandson and now heir of the Marquess of Arendale.
Lucasta [growing exasperated but knowing better than to show it]: Oh, if you must know, I made a jest to the Gorgons about the attention Mr. Falstead pays to his appearance, and he overheard the insult.
Lady C [raising her eyeglass]: Heavens above, gel. You’re pulling caps with Smart Jeremy?
Lucasta: So it seems. I can only imagine his calling me “fascinating” was meant to repay me in kind.
Lady C: Or you’ve hooked him, right and proper.
Lucasta: I very much doubt that.
Lady C [once more applying the eyeglass]: I would too, given that hideous gown, but you’ve some address about you, gel. A kind of queenly air. If you want my advice, keep your skirts down and make him trot after you. Men always want what they can’t have.
Lucasta: I have no wish to interest Smart Jeremy.
Lady C: Not wish to interest the eventual heir to a Marquess! Don’t be absurd. By the sounds of things, you’ve thrown out a lure already. Now [rising] I am going to call on Clara Bellwether, and she will tell me everything.
Lucasta: I would not depend that Lady Clara—
Lady C: Give my regards to your aunt and Miss Pevensey, and say I was desolated to miss them when I called.
Lucasta [rising also]: I shall. About that Cristofori pianoforte—
Lady C: I shall have you to play it when your engagement to the Honourable Mr. Jeremiah Falstad is announced.
Lucasta: Lady Cranbury, that will come about when pigs fly.
Lady C [arranging her cloak]: I shall look for you at the rout at Skylar House this evening, and if you are as clever as I think you are, you will take the opportunity to fascinate Smart Jeremy further. I’m going to wager Lady Clara you will bring him to his knees. Good day, Miss Lithwick, and good luck.
[Parlor door closes to the sound of Lucasta grinding her teeth]
Tell Me Sweet, featuring the adventures in love of Miss Lucasta Lithwick, and a true and complete account of how she fascinated the town’s beau, Mr. Jeremiah Falstead, called everywhere Smart Jeremy, releases January 13.
He set out to transform her… but she will undo him.
Lucasta Lithwick never asked to be fashionable. She only wanted to make music. But duty calls her to London to chaperone her cousin through a glittering Season—and into the path of Jeremiah Falstead, the new Lord Rudyard, whose cutting remarks earn him the nickname “Smart Jeremy.” When Lucasta dares to answer back, she becomes the target of his revenge. His plan? To turn her, the Season’s most unlikely wallflower, into its shining star.
Jem’s motives begin as pride and wounded vanity, but every stolen glance, every sparring word with Lucasta awakens something far more dangerous—desire. Beneath her prim exterior lies a spirit as wild and ungovernable as his own, and soon Jem finds himself risking not only his secret but his heart.
As transformation gives way to temptation, both must decide if love is worth the fall from Society’s grace… or if happily ever after belongs only in the music of their dreams.
An irresistible Regency romance about two strong hearts learning that love, not fashion, is the most daring transformation of all. Fans of Julia Quinn and Tessa Dare will fall for this emotional enemies-to-lovers tale that proves even the most sensible hearts can lose their way when love—and a rogue—comes calling.
Meet Misty Urban:
Misty Urban wrote her first story at age 5 for the benefit of her younger sister. It was, sources say, a rather conventional piece involving cats, mats, and possibly bats (the work is no longer extant). Her next venture, a journalism/reportage effort entitled “The Urban Star,” peaked at a circulation of 3. She wrote her first novel at age 16. It remains unpublished.
Her subsequent career paths have included stints as a bookseller in Madison, WI; an MA student at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL; a combined MFA/Ph.D. student at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY; and four years as an assistant professor at Lewis Clark State College in Lewiston, ID. She has most recently come to rest in eastern Iowa, where she reads and writes in the company of one handsome park ranger, two young aspiring writers, and a rather heavy collection of books.
You can find her on Instagram, BookBub, as well as her website. And, of course, if you want to stay up to date with what Misty has going on, you can sign up for her newsletter here.
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