A Rogue's Proposal (55 page)

Dear Reader,

The Bar Cynster—a group of arrogant Regency rogues—domineering, autocratic, rakish—what more need one say? Writing about them—their lives, their loves and about the wider Cynster family with its strong, willful women—has been a delight. What especially attracted me to write about the Bar Cynsters was what I see as the ultimate strength in strong, arrogant, warrior males—the fact that their very nature compels them to seek their own family to protect and defend. And in order to establish that family, ah well—they need a wife. But Fate, a willful woman herself, has reserved a special destiny for every Cynster: to love and be loved by said wife. To surrender to love—to willingly do so—takes courage, determination, and commitment. As Demon recognizes at the beginning of this book, marrying the lady one loves—being forever at the mercy of a woman who holds one’s heart, soul, and future in her small, delicate hands—is a fate baneful enough to make the strongest warrior blanch. Although each of them blanches, and clearly recognizes the danger, every member of the Bar Cynster ultimately makes his fateful choice. First Devil, in
Devil’s Bride
, then Vane in
A Rake’s Vow
, followed by Richard in
Scandal’s Bride
, and now Demon in
A Rogue’s Proposal
. Each choose love, family, and a lifetime of commitment over all else their wealthy world has to offer.

To me, that willing choice is the very essence of romance in the Regency.

Recording how each Cynster falls has been my privilege, watching as Fate lays her snare for each one. The next in line is Gabriel. He receives a summons from a mysterious countess and meets her in the mists at St. Georges, Hanover Square. Even cloaked and veiled, the lady raises much more than his interest. She wishes to recruit his talents to expose a financial scam. Gabriel agrees, intent on exposing much more than that. But the countess proves a creature of night and shadow. What Gabriel finally reveals when he rips aside her last veil rocks him to his very foundation. That, however, is just the start of his problems. Read how he and Fate triumph in the next installment in the Bar Cynster series from Avon Books in July 2000.

I hope reading my work brings you as much joy as creating it gives me. A big thank-you to all my readers—your letters, cards and email provide a constant stream of support. I write to entertain you, and hope to do so for many years yet!

Romances set against the backdrop of Regency England were the first STEPHANIE LAURENS ever read, and they continue to exert a special attraction. On escaping from the dry world of professional science to carve out a career as a writer, Stephanie published eight Regency romances, then turned to longer historical romances set in the Regency period. Her first was
Captain Jack’s Woman
, published by Avon Books in 1997. Subsequent books have told the tales of the Bar Cynster-a group of masterful, arrogant cousins of the ducal Cynster dynasty.
Devil’s Bride
,
A Rake’s Vow
,
Scandal’s Bride
,
A Rogues’ Proposal
,
A Secret Love
, and
All About Lov
e have documented the inevitable surrender to love of the devastatingly handsome Cynsters.
All About Passion
extends the series.

Residing in a leafy bayside suburb of Melbourne, Australia, Stephanie divides her free time between her husband, two teenage daughters and two cats, Shakespeare and Marlowe. Stephanie loves to hear from readers. Letters can be sent c/o The Publicity Department, Avon Books, HarperCollins Publishers, 10 E 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299, or via email to
[email protected]
, or via Stephanie’s website at
www.stephanielaurens.com
. Updates on the continuing Cynstar series can be found on the website.

About the Publisher

Australia

HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)

Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia

http://www.harpercollins.com.au

Canada

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

55 Avenue Road, Suite 2900

Toronto, ON, M5R, 3L2, Canada

http://www.harpercanada.com

New Zealand

HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited

P.O. Box 1

Auckland, New Zealand

http://www.harpercollins.co.nz

United Kingdom

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

77-85 Fulham Palace Road

London, W6 8JB, UK

http://www.fireandwater.com

United States

HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

10 East 53rd Street

New York, NY 10022

http://www.perfectbound.com

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