A Wallflower Christmas is the story of Rafe Bowman, an American businessman who comes to London to marry an English bride. All the original wallflowers appear in the novel, and at Sybil’s request I’m sharing a clip of a scene between Evie and Sebastian
[Ed note: happy sigh].
Evie has been separated from the notorious Lord St. Vincent, while he has gone to visit his ailing father. In spite of the comfort of familiar friends, Evie is lonely and longing for her wicked husband . . .
[poor evie… doesn’t your heart just break for her…]
And now for some what you have been waiting for – the devil himself – Sebastian Lord St. Vincent 😉
E-X-C-E-R-P-T
A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas **Oct 14, 2008**
Back in the comfort of her guest room at Stony Cross Manor, Evie bathed in a small portable tub by the hearth, sighing in relief at the feel of the hot water against her stiff, aching limbs. Sleigh rides, she reflected, were one of those activities that always sounded better in theory than they turned out to be in reality. The seats on the sleigh had been hard and lumpy, and her feet had been cold.
She heard a tap at the door, and the sound of someone entering the room. Since she was shielded from view by a standing fabric screen, Evie leaned back and peek around the screen’s wooden frame.
A housemaid was hefting a dripping metal can with rags tied at the handles. “More hot water, milady?” she asked.
“Y-yes, please.”
Carefully the maid poured the steaming water at the end near Evie’s feet, and Evie sank deeper into the bath. “Oh, thank you.”
“Shall I come back with a warming pan to take the chill from the bed, milady?” The long-handled covered pan was filled with live coals and run between the sheets just before bedtime.
Evie nodded.
The maid left, and Evie stayed in the bath until the heat began to dissipate. Reluctantly she stepped from the tub and dried herself. The thought of going to bed alone—again—filled her with melancholy. She was trying not to pine for St Vincent. But she woke up every morning searching for him, her arm stretched across the empty place beside her.
St. Vincent was the opposite of everything Evie was . . . elegant, dazzlingly articulate, cool and self-possessed . . . and so wicked that it had once been universally agreed he would be an absolutely terrible husband.
No one but Evie knew how tender and devoted he was in private. Of course, his friends such as Westcliff and Mr. Hunt were aware that St. Vincent had reformed his former villainous ways. And he was doing a remarkable job managing the gaming club she had inherited from her father, rebuilding a faltering empire while at the same time making light of the responsibilities he had assumed.
He was still a scoundrel, though, she thought with a private grin.
Standing from the bath, Evie dried herself and donned a velvet robe that buttoned along the front. She heard the door open again. “Back to w-warm the bed?” she asked.
But the voice that answered wasn’t the maid’s.
“As a matter of fact . . . yes.”
Evie stilled at the sound of a deep, silky murmur.
“I passed the maid on the stairs and told her she wouldn’t be needed tonight,” he continued. “‘If there’s one thing I do well,’ I told her, ‘it’s warming my wife’s bed.'”
By this time Evie was fumbling to push the screen aside, nearly pushing it over.
St. Vincent reached her in a few graceful strides, folding her in his arms. “Easy, love. No need for haste. Believe me, I’m not going anywhere.”
They stood together for a long, wordless moment, breathing, holding tight.
Eventually St. Vincent tilted Evie’s head back and stared down at her. He was tawny and golden-haired, his pale blue eyes glittering like gems in the face of a fallen angel. He was a long, lean-framed man, always exquisitely dressed and groomed. But he had not been sleeping well, she saw. There were faint shadows beneath his eyes, and signs of weariness on his face. The touches of human vulnerability, however, only served to make him more handsome, softening what might otherwise have been a gleaming, godlike remoteness.
“Your f-father,” she began, staring at him in concern. “Is he . . .”
St. Vincent cast an exasperated glance heavenward. “He’ll be fine. The doctors can’t find a thing wrong with him, other than indigestion brought on by rich food and wine. When I left, he was leering and pinching the housemaids, and welcoming a score of obsequious relations who want to sponge off him for Christmas.” His hands moved lightly over her velvet-covered back. His voice was very soft. “Have you been a good girl in my absence?”
“Yes, of course,” she said breathlessly.
St. Vincent gave her a disapproving glance and kissed her with a seductive gentleness that sent her pulse racing. “We’ll have to remedy that immediately. I refuse to tolerate proper behavior from my wife.”
She touched his face, smiling as he nipped at her exploring fingertips. “I’ve missed you, Sebastian.”
“Have you, love?” He unfastened the buttons of her robe, the light eyes glittering with heat as her skin was revealed. “What part did you miss the most?”
“Your mind,” she said, and smiled at his expression.
“I was hoping for a far more depraved answer than that.”
“Your mind is depraved,” she told him solemnly.
He gave a husky laugh. “True.”
She gasped as his gentle, experienced hand slipped inside her robe. “What part of m-me did you miss the most?”
“I missed you from head to toe. I missed every freckle. I missed the taste of you . . . the feel of your hair in my hands . . . Evie, my love, you are shamefully overdressed.”
And he picked her up and carried her to bed . . .
© Lisa Kleypas. All rights reserved
Awwww. See? I smiled through the whole thing. Who doesn’t love Sebastian and Evie? They are opposites yet perfect for one another. I love them! I absolutely positively cannot wait for this story. I want to reminisce with the Wallflowers. Yay!
That was amazing! Thank you!
I missed every freckle.
That is so sweet. *sigh*
October?? Oh, I hates the waiting.
I do loves that excerpt though! Thanks Lisa!
Sweet, sexy, sumptuous! As always! But what I want to know is does Daisy have a boy or a girl we haven’t found out and all of the other Wallflowers have had baby girls. The suspense is killing me by the inches!
Oh delish!
Awwwww that was too cute. What about Simon and Annabelle? Daisy and Matthew? Do we get to see them like this? I hope so, I loved them!!!
And that Sebastian is a sexy devil for sure…goodness, I can’t wait for this book!!!
I want..I want it right now. Loooove St. Vincent.
So not nice to tease me.
I’m not a Devil fan. Out of all the men, I like St. Vincent the least, so that excerpt doesn’t excite me.
I’m a fan, so I will be reading that book though.
**sigh**
Oh my goodness. October is soooo far away! I’ll pine for St. Vincent by then!
Dear nne,
Actually, this book takes place only a few months after Daisy’s autumn wedding, so she isn’t pregnant yet! MTM takes place much later. But you will find out MORE about the wallflower offspring in SMAS!!!
Dear Rowena,
There is a super-steamy love scene involving another Wallflower couple, but I can’t tell you who it is.
Muhahahahaaaa!
Oh le sigh.
Ohhh…and we REALLY have to wait until October?? Is this slow torture or what??!! That just made my heart melt….St. Vincent is so hot! I want one too! 🙂
This is pure torture. Making us wait for this book. But as always, thank you for graciously sharing these excerpts with us!
Thank you Sybil, for pasting that smile on my face. You do know how to make my day. Evie and St Vincent are my favourite characters in the wallflowers series.
And thank you, Lisa, for bringing back the wallflowers. I’ll be counting down till October.
Aw, I think I need to read these wallflowers books now. That was sweet.
Ooh really? Who? Who? Who?
Oh you tease…that’s not nice. =)
Ahhhhh. I cannot wait to read this! And Evie and Saint are my favorite (historical) Kleypas couple! What a great surprise and I’ll definitely be buying this when it come out.
I heart Sebastion and Evie. They are so sweet together. And he is one sexy character. I can’t wait until this book comes out!
What a GREAT question Chantal!!!!!
Who is everyones ‘favorite couple’? I will start…. I know it will shock you… BUT my favorite is…
Evie and St Vincent!!
Ok now you….
Oh that are wonderful news. But till October is so far away. Guess a re-read of your books are on the schedule
Mine is, well it’s a toss up between Simon and Annabelle and Derek and Sara. I loved both of them.
I do love Evie and St Vincent, but I also have a soft spot for Jack and Amanda from Suddenly You.
Yay. Can’t wait to Rafe’s story. I love Lily and Alex from “Then Came You.”
TWO LK books within TWO weeks of each other?!?! Wow. Is it my birthday? 😀
Amanda and Jack from Suddenly You is my favorite couple.
I can’t choose really, I’m going to narrow it down to between Westcliff & Lillian and Derek & Sara!
Of the Wallflowers, Lillian and Marcus are my favorite couple. I’m hoping that super-steamy scene is going to be them, and we get to see that private side of Marcus.
EVIE AND ST. VINCENT!!
October?!?!?!?
It’s so hard to choose a favorite. They’re all wonderful. Still..I’d probably have to say my top 5, in no particular order, are:
Evie and St. Vincent
Nick and Lottie
Logan and Maddie (love me some Logan)
McKenna and Aline
Max and Lysette
Disclaimer: List is subject to change without prior notification!
Of those five, Devil in Winter and Because You’re Mine are definitely my two favorite stories. BYM is underrated, IMO. 😛
OMG!! I just can hardly wait!!! But…my favorite is still Again the Magic with McKenna and Aline! I hope there is some more about them!!
Holly! I soooooooo loved Because You’re Mine!
Misty if you mean more of them in A Wallflower Christmas I would have to say no, I don’t remember them being in it. But I could be remembering wrong…
Yeah they weren’t in the wallflower series but I still love them soo much!! Again the Magic is one of my favorite books ever!!!
Oh my! *sigh* I am so glad you’re returning to the Wallflower gang, Ms. Kleypas!! I really, truly fell in love with those books! I definitely can’t wait for this book! I want to see what has happened to all our favorite characters!!
*melts* Oh my god I’m so excited for this!! I love St. Vincent. He’s one of my favorite romance hero’s of all time. And I love Evie too, she’s representing for me and my fellow shy awkward girls who never get asked to dance etc; but she gets the beautiful man in the end! It gives me great hope:) Oooooh I want a St. Vincent of my own!!!! Can’t wait till october!
Also I have to add some of my fav couples sicne we’re talking about them:
Evie and Sebastion(obviously)
Nick and Lottie
Hunter and Lara
Cam and Amelia
all of those guys are soo deliciously swoon-worthy*sighs*:)
<33
Sighing here as well…. Been reading so many bad books the past couple of months I just had to reread Devil in Winter last week for a literary high – and loved it just as much as the first time…fell in love all over again…with Kleypas’ writing as well – the flow of words just have a poetic rhythm.
I agree Sebastian, Derek and Nick are right up there – reread Nick’s also, so I am well sated and back to reading the new releases. I believe I have already preordered on Amazon a Kleypas book to be released later in the year but I don’t remember it being this one. Is there another?
Nevermind, just read the Seduce Me excerpt….ahhh; waiting is torture..
oh yummy. i so very much heart sebastian. 🙂
I was on Amazon and found this link. I just finished Derek & Sara’s book – very touching. My heart cried for Derek and his pain and leaped for joy at Sara’s healing power over him. I’ve read the entire Wallflower series and found Evie and Sebastian’s story the funniest, most entertaining story – they are my favorite couple. Even though some readers did not like St. Vincent in Marcus & Lillian’s book, I did. I guess I’m the stereotypical woman in love with the bad boy. I just enjoyed his sarcasim and wit – hey, what can I say!
Can someone help me out please? Does Evie and Sebastian ever have a child? I only read Devil in Winter and the Walflower book before that (sorry, drawing a blank). I didn’t read the one with Daisy as the lead. Do they mention Evie pregnant in that book? Thanks!!
They do have a child. In a later book (the story about Cam) readers find out that Sebastian and Evie have a little daughter with red hair like her mothers.
Can’t hardly wait for this book to come out!! Thank God we only have about 2 wks left!!