This podcast is a proud affiliate of Libro.fm. By clicking on this banner, we may earn a proceed of any purchases you make, in which case, we thank you very much!
Addy Du Lac Samples Miss Mason's Secret Baron
Katherine Grant: Welcome to the historical romance sampler podcast. I'm your host, Katherine Grant, and each week I introduce you to another amazing historical romance author. My guest reads a little sample of their work, and then we move into a free ranging interview. If you like these episodes, don't forget to subscribe to the historical romance sampler, wherever you listen to podcasts and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Now let's get into this week's episode.
I am very excited to have today, Addy Du Lac, born and raised in the rainbow twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Addy moved to the US with her mother and elder sister at the age of 12. She was introduced to historical romance in high school through Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas, and began writing historical romance while she received a double major in history and creative writing from the University of South Florida.
In 2024, her debut novel, One Season with the Duke won three emma Awards for debut author of the Year, Best interracial Romance, and Best Book of the year. She enjoys crafting books with diverse characters and steamy happy endings. When Addy isn't plotting her next series or fighting through a new novel, she enjoys watching movies and Asian dramas traveling and tempting her fate with new recipes.
And when we did a panel together in Georgia, I learned you also love a jigsaw puzzle.
Addy Du Lac: I love me a jigsaw puzzle. The collection's in another room, but the jigsaw puzzle is a problem. Yeah.
Katherine Grant: Addy, thank you so much for joining me today.
Addy Du Lac: No problem. Thank you for having me.
Katherine Grant: I am really excited to hear a sample of the book that you brought today, miss Mason's Secret Baron.
Addy Du Lac: Mm-hmm. Yes.
Katherine Grant: What should we know about the story?
Addy Du Lac: So it's the second of my Troublemakers trilogy. The first one is Miss Thornfield's Daring Bargain. This one focuses on Regina. Her dad's a military man. Her parents
got married, it was one of those military marriages in India. So her mother is Marati and her father is English. And at some point the father manages to arrange a marriage between his daughter and barony. And what he manages to do is put in a marriage contract that says that the engagement is between her daughter and the baron of Starkley.
So it is not to a particular person, it is to the title.
Katherine Grant: Hmm.
Addy Du Lac: So, he managed to set up this contract in India when she was around 12 years, like 12, 15 years old. So from that moment on, her family sort of moved to, moved to England. And she's been a Baroness in training since that time. However, what's been happening is the heirs keep dying. Regina, from the time that she was engaged to now, there've been like three or four fiances, so it's sort of spiraled, not quite out of control, but it's spiraled just a little bit and she's sort of waiting now, for this person who inherits this title to come and execute this contract and marry her and make her a baroness so she can move on with her life.
So that's, that's the setup for her. And we have Leo, who is, honestly, he's just trying to mind his business, but he's gotten sort of roped in into this other barony that he's discovered. He just discovered that he is sort of a lost heir to this barony, and he's actually the last of this line.
And while he's trying to figure out whether he wants to even deal with that drama and take on that kind of a legacy, he's sort of faced with Regina and now he's like "maybe I could? Maybe it could be a good idea?" You know, kind of situation.
Katherine Grant: Awesome.
All right, well, I'm excited to hear the sample.
Addy Du Lac: chapter four, the Majesty's Theater Hay Market, London 1852.
It had been over a year since Regina had been to the theater in the previous year. Ada's trouble have resulted in Regina's season being cut short.
After they adventured to Gretna green, her parents had snatched her back to the country where she was meant to wait until the fiance returned. They'd only returned to London this season in anticipation of her fiance's arrival, which they now knew wouldn't happen. Not until they knew who the new one would be.
An evening with Elodia while their parents grew more closely acquainted opened up so many new possibilities. She didn't know why they hadn't done this before. She knew that Elodia and Ava had managed to spend more time together because their families were less restrictive like her parents.
She had only ever wanted to be Elodia's friend and had never truly considered using her father as a connection to better her own standing. But now she wondered how much of her life over the past years could have been different. In her excitement, she'd chosen one of the dresses she'd managed to get past her mother, a gown of rich cerulean silk with a border of gold and silver, and a floral motif along the neckline and a broad border at the hem of each flounce.
It was an indulgence, like a favorite daughter, something that showed a little more of who she was, or perhaps who she wanted to be. Who she hoped she would be after all was said and done. The excitement she felt had even extended to her mother who had forgotten for the first time in Regina's life to check what Regina was wearing before they had arrived at the theater.
Regina had left her cloak on until the last minute when she had been forced to remove it at the theater in full view of her mother's eagle eye had gone directly to the unmistakably Indian design. But before she could speak, the viscount had commented on it, in glowing terms. Regina couldn't be sure it was a victory, but for the moment at least there wasn't anything to be done about it.
If enough positive feedback got to her mother, perhaps Regina would be able to wear more of these designs this season. It would be a kind of freedom, even if much of her life was still decided tonight. She wouldn't worry about that tonight. She would enjoy being able to wear the dress and relish the opera with her friend.
Her eyes drifted over the assembly of patrons. Some were familiar, most were not. She'd been in this theater once before, but never in an area like this. These gilt seats were upholstered in red velvet, and this performance was the premier of the latest opera by Giuseppe Verdi.
"What is this one about, Elodia?" She asked.
"I believe it was based on the book by Alexandra Dumas's son, la Dame Aux Camelias.
Have you read it?"
" No."
"It's about a fallen woman, Violetta, who finds love too late." "Sad, but probably realistic." "Indeed, but the music should be good. Thank goodness for those Italian lessons, eh?" Regina joked, nudging Elodia with her elbow. "If only Ada was here, it would be a perfect evening."
"Indeed, although she's likely already seen it."
"That is very true. At this point when she returns, we'll be able to discuss it with her instead of staring like country bumpkins." The lights flicked and they turned their attention to the stage. As Elodia had predicted, the music was wonderful, but what struck with Regina the most was Violetta's quandary between freedom and love.
The idea that being caught between what seemed to serve her best and let her heart cried out for once she it. She heard Elodia gasp beside her and turn to her. "What is it?" "He's here," she whispered, her gloved hands clenched in her lap. Her eyes fixed across from their seat one tier down. When she saw the object of her focus, her own breath caught. There in the dim light of the torches sat Ada's brother, Mr. Thornfield, and beside him was Mr.
Kingston. His gaze was fixed on the stage. His brow furrowed in concentration as he leaned on the armrest of his chair, one strong hand covering his full mouth. Every time she saw him, she was struck anew by how handsome he was and how attractive every part of him was to her, how much she liked the way he looked at her, the way he appreciated her as she was.
Could she find that with the man she was destined to marry? Was it possible that the white man, who would no doubt inherit the barony and her along with it, would see her as a boon instead of a burden? On the stage, Alfredo's voice rang out reminding the heroine of her opportunity to taste what she'd never experienced before, with a person of pure heart intention. Violetta's voice faltered as the ache of loving, sprang to life, and in Regina's own heart, a treacherous seed of yearning took it.
She forced herself to look down at her hands and went back stage. She tried to focus on understanding the Italian, instead of recalling every detail of every encounter she'd ever had with Leo.
And Regina glanced over in time to see her nod in Mr. Thornfield's Direction. He returned the gesture to her and Regina and she glanced at Mr. Kingston to see his eyes fixed on her. Her heart thudded in her chest, at the impact of the stare. He nodded as well before returning his attention to the stage. Could she be disappointed? Did it make sense?
He owed her nothing. They had met only twice before. What did she hope for? Her heart was thumping away in her chest. She could feel his gaze on her skin and the tingling in her belly lower, forcing her to press her legs together. It was terrifying and exhilarating to have this interest. Even if it was only polite, it was maddening to have her body react in such a way to someone she knew full well she couldn't have, someone who had no interest in her outside of passing acquaintance.
The first half ended and the curtain mercifully closed as the audience broke into stat of clothes. "Oh, they left," Elodia said. "What?" Regina's head snapped up to see the empty seat Mr. Kingston had once sat on. She wasn't disappointed. She wasn't. She didn't know the man, for the love Christ. Perhaps it was a mercy. The last thing she needed was more distraction.
Then Elodia stiffened behind her. "Oh Lord, he's coming over."
Regina's head snapped up. Her body went cold with shock. "What?"
"Good evening, gentlemen," Elodia smiled. "Papa, you remember Mr. Kingston? And of course, Mr. Thornfield."
"Of course. Good evening, gentlemen," Lord Melbrook said. "Mr. Thornfield, you must already be familiar with my guest, but Mr.
Kingston, allow me to introduce Captain and Mrs. Mason and their eldest daughter, Miss Regina Mason."
"Good evening to you all," he said, giving them a smart bow.
"Mr. Kingston, I believe I saw you on the platform that day last year, did I not?" Captain Mason said with a curious head tilt. Father remembered him? Of course, father remembered him.
The man had a mind like a steel trap.
"I believe so. But it was hardly a formal introduction by any means."
"No, more like guerrilla warfare." Mr. Kingston pressed his lips together as if fighting back a smile.
"As you say, sir."
Her father turned to her mother. "Mr. Kingston was instrumental in safeguarding Mr. Thornfield's life and the former Miss Thornfield's dignity."
"Yes, he was," Mr. Thornfield confirmed.
"He was also the reason my Elodia was returned to me so quickly when she was taken last year," the viscount added with a nod of admiration. "It seems like more than one person is indebted to you, Mr. Kingston," Regina's mother said.
"That is true, but not a person here. What I did was in the service of a friend."
"How gallant of you." Her expression seemed almost convinced,
but Regina knew better than to read anything more.
"Do you enjoy the opera, Mr. Kingston?" Regina asked, hoping her voice sounded as steady as she imagined, even though her stomach was a mess of nerves.
"I do in general, Miss Mason. How do you find this one?"
"Intriguing. I'm not one for romance in general, but this one isn't terrible."
It was better to be honest. Her parents would certainly know the truth.
"A young woman who isn't a fan of romantic tales, very peculiar," Mr. Thornfield said with amusement.
She smiled. Yes, it would seem odd to him. Regina had never been interested in hurting herself for the sake of curiosity. Romance would have no place in the life she was going to live, and she had no interest in tasting it,
even vicariously. "I'm a peculiar sort of female."
"You're in good company tonight. My companion here is less than enthused himself." He passed a frustrated glance at Mr. Kingston.
"Oh, what fault do you find with it?" She asked. Was he a kindred spirit?
"Is the subject matter too shocking?" Elodia chimed in. Mr. Kingston shot an annoyed glance at his friend before chuckling and shaking his head.
Regina's breath caught in her throat. That laugh. She was losing her mind. "Well, I confess I much prefer comedies myself," he replied.
"How peculiar of you," Regina teased, and he crinkled his nose in mock protest.
"Perhaps, but I've dealt with enough tragedy in my line of work. When I pay to be entertained, I prefer a happy ending."
"Whereas I live for drama as an escape from mundane leisure," Richard joked.
"You do not believe that art should hold a mirror up to the world, Mr. Kingston?" the viscount asked.
"I have no objection to principle, but for myself, I'd much rather laugh than cry."
"Especially in public," Ellie teased, and Mr. Thornfield snickered before wagging his finger and squinting at the ceiling and consideration.
"You make a fine point, Miss Hawthorn. Imagine spending all that time on your toilette told to ruin your hard work with a rogue Opera."
"What a tragedy," she lamented with a grin. "The futility!"
:Oh dear. Are you in danger of a public emotional exhibition, Mr. Kingston?" Regina asked, wondering how Elodia was able to speak so easily with Mr.
Thornfield, a man she was clearly in love with.
Mr. Kingston chuckled and shook his head. "Not tonight, Miss Mason. I believe it's time to return to our seats to further witness the tragic futility."
"Such is always the way. I shall bid you all goodnight, then," Mr. Thornfield said before bowing and leaving their box.
Mr.
Kingston followed suit, meeting her eyes for a moment before he left and Regina returned the gesture, watching greedily as he strolled away from the box. Even his walk was attractive. What on earth was this? Could it be mere attraction? Was it that powerful?
"He is a cheerful fellow," Mr. Mason commented.
"Who, Thornfield? He is rather, but don't let him fool you," Lord Melbrook replied.
"What do you mean by that, papa?" Elodia asked.
"Only that he is not as straightforward as he likes to appear."
It was true. Ada's brother wielded his charm in a way that was calculated without being harmful. She didn't hold it against him. She had to do the same in her own way. Far too locked in.
She imagined Mr. Kingston's humility was another way to play to the crowd in order to avoid too much scrutiny. Could his refusal to accept credit for his actions the year before be explained?
"Few people are," Regina replied without thinking as she watched him and Mr. Kingston retake their seats.
"Oh?" Captain Mason asked. Regina glanced over to see four pairs of eyes staring at her.
Three inquisitive and one knowing and wary.
"I only meant that it is the price of engaging in society, is it not? We none of us can be truly who we are all the time."
"I suppose that's true enough," her father replied.
"Indeed," Mrs. Mason said, watching Regina with cool consideration. "Mr. Kingston is quite the hero."
Regina met her stare evenly, but said nothing. She knew somehow her mother knew who her mind had begun drifting towards. If her voice wavered, but it would seal the coffin.
"He's a good sort," Elodia said. "very clever and discreet."
"A military man as well by his account," Lord Melbrook added.
" Oh? which battalion?" Captain Mason asked, his interest
piqued.
"I didn't get that far into the introduction. Perhaps I can invite him to dinner next week and you can have the opportunity to ask."
"Very good." Her father nodded with his typical cheerful grin. Regina turned to face the stage and forced herself to keep her eyes on the performance she was lucky to witness and not on the man across from the box.
Katherine Grant: What a fun little scene. That's got banter. It's got meta commentary on narrative fiction. It's got everything. I've got a lot of questions for you, but first we're gonna take a quick break for our sponsors.
Katherine Grant: I am back with Addy Du Lac, who just read a very fun sample from Miss Mason's Secret Baron. And like I said before the break, this was a really interesting scene because you were juxtaposing what's going on with the characters by. Having them watch Verdi's Opera and comment on it.
And Regina even has the explicit thought of how the opera has this theme of freedom versus love and. She doesn't anticipate finding herself in that quandary, but she can relate to it so deeply. So let's just start with like, what called to you to tell the story of Regina who is kind of trapped in a marriage to someone who she doesn't even know who she's gonna marry?
Addy Du Lac: I love an arranged marriage. I love that trope. I think it's so juicy. I love the idea of strangers being forced together and like by virtue of their sort of, by dumb luck of their personalities or by virtue of, you know, just things, them being the kind of people who are solution focused.
They find a way through and they're able to discover this person and realize, okay, maybe you don't suck. Maybe, maybe you're not the worst thing ever. Right. And with Regina, I knew that I wanted to have an arranged marriage where it's sort of, there's always, especially in Asian dramas, there's always like a secret, you know, millionaire always this like some kind of thing where he's like a secret
heir... so when I was working on Regina's story, especially because I had already decided that she was going to be South Asian, I knew I wanted her to be an arranged marriage, but I wanted it to be a sort of arranged marriage with a twist.
Right. And I liked playing with the idea of her being trapped. But at the same time, not, she hasn't lost her agency because I mean, as you, when you read the book as you read it, she's not pitiful. She doesn't pity herself. She doesn't see herself as a victim.
She doesn't have any of that self pity going on. She understands the function of what she's been called to do, and she has come to sort of embrace it because the value of what she's able to present, it matters to her. It matters to her that by becoming a Baroness, she'll be able to give a little more protection and give a little more influence, not necessarily to her father, but to her mother and her little sister.
She has this. She sees herself as like working in partnership with her father to finally be able to really protect their family. The reality of the situation is in their home, they're safe and they're happy and they can have this, this, this very warm family, but the minute they step outside of that house, it's a problem, right? Everything about them becomes a problem.
And them living in India, it was easier because they're, you know, they're brown people, they're Indian people everywhere. They had their own social circle. But then they moved to England and now her mother sticks out like a sore thumb. She sort of witnesses, oh God, this is, but this is what I can help, this is what I can do for my family.
And I, it was very important to me that she not be, even though, you know, the arranged marriage and the Oh no part of is in Bollywood, but I didn't want her to feel sort of like melodramatic. I didn't want her to feel like, or I didn't want the audience to read her and be like, oh no, this poor girl, even though on a way you do it did.
She doesn't need to be safe in that way. If she actually does have to marry this, this fiance, and it turns out he's not the man of her dreams. He's never going to be Leo, but say he is not the man of her dreams,
she's like, I'll work with this, right? That was the first part of, was like I had to figure out Regina and what kind of person she was and what kind of steel she's made of. And then once I had that sorted out, I thought, oh, wouldn't it be funny if it ended up being Leo?
What if I ended up pairing all these suckers off 'cause that the original plan, Leo was supposed to show up and then leave. And then I was like, but what if I can. So then I put it in there and then I said, oh my God, what are like, this will be, this will be so interesting because he's a person
who
is, once I've felt, once I've figured out who he was, I was like, okay, he does, he's not going to want this.
This is the opposite of everything. That not only everything that he is, but it's the opposite of everything that he values. He values hard work. He values like earning your place. He
has
respect and like he's, he has these things and he's managed to get it for himself, and now he's being offered something that gives, it would technically give him more respect, but it is not earned.
It is the opposite of earned. It is entitlement, literally and figuratively. And he's just like, Ew. No, like that's horrible. But then it's sort of, both of them are in that position where it's like the things that they value could be at risk if they strike out in this new path.
Katherine Grant: Now I'm curious because in your bio it mentions you have a dual degree in history and creative writing, so the genre doesn't always reflect it, but there is a strong historical record that families like Regina's
were in London and all that. What was your approach? Did you do a lot of research into it or did you kind of bring you know, imagination to it and, and where does research fit into your creative process?
Addy Du Lac: So what I tend to do is I sort of figure out the story that I wanna tell. It's sort of like I have a hypothesis of what I would like to do, but now I need to go see if there's any data to back up exactly what I have in mind, or if I have to adjust something to match
something else. Right? So like for example, I was already well versed in the fact that England and India, like India, England had been, they'd had troops over there,
right? So that one wasn't, it wasn't hard to figure that part out. But then I was trying to figure out like what did I want the father to be? It's tricky. I don't, there's the danger of sort of falling into like the colonizer, oppressor sort of situation. When you do research into those things, you do find, yeah, you had these marriages that came up and some of them were because they fell in love.
Some of them, the women were forced to convert. Some of them, it was just, these Indian families that are trying to maintain the position while, you know, England is slowly like swallowing up India and sort of dismantling the typical power structure that they had there.
But I wanted to have a situation where it's like he's not opposed to the marriage itself, but he also knows his fellow men and he knows his circumstances. He is not going to be some kind of special unicorn, but he, he has to have some sort of kernel of just straight up respectability as a human to see if there's a way for those parents to work. And then for Regina, that is when it became okay.
As an immigrant, for me, the main thing that I could really trade in and understand is the sort of otherness of an experience. Right. And especially when you've been living in your new home for an extended period of time, sometimes you don't always have the luxury of going back as often as you want, and now a new disconnect between your ho the home that you left, but there's a disconnect that's still maintained in the place where you are, right?
Katherine Grant: Mm-hmm.
Addy Du Lac: So a lot of that ended up shaping like how I knew I wanted the story to go, and across the board, it's that that is something that I know I can write because it's like, you know.
It's part of my life and it's sort of part of my family that's that feeling. So I wanna, I try to always like sort of hammer that home and make sure that that is a theme that goes across all of it. But everybody reacts to it differently, right? Yeah. Some people are just like, absolutely not. I'm going to do me and you'll get over it.
Right? And then other people are like, if you can't beat him, join him. And then I will take over from the inside. Right? And then people dismantle it from the beginning, right? So Regina's more of a dismantle from the inside kind of situation.
Katherine Grant: Yeah. All right, well, now is a good time to play. Love it or leave it?
[Musical Interlude]
Katherine Grant: All right. Do you love it or leave it? Protagonists meet in the first 10% of the story.
Addy Du Lac: Love it.
Katherine Grant: Yeah, love it or love it or leave it? Dual point of view narration.
Addy Du Lac: Love it.
Katherine Grant: Love it or leave it?
Addy Du Lac: Third person past tense. Is there another way to do this? I'm joking.
Katherine Grant: Love it or leave it? The third act breakup or dark moment?
Addy Du Lac: Oh, love it. Yeah. Get it juicy. I like getting people in their feelings.
Katherine Grant: Okay. Yeah. Love it or leave it? Always end with an epilogue.
Addy Du Lac: I think I love it. I think. I think so. Because a lot of times with these stories, it's what? The first two, three months of a relationship? Like if it's extended, a lot of times it's like the first month, like they literally met on in the first part and like by the end they're married.
I like giving little snapshots into the future, whether it's kids or no kids, whether it's dogs, whether they travel somewhere else. Just a little something for people to see that things are still going okay. You know?
Katherine Grant: Yeah. Love it or leave it?
Always share research in your author's note.
Addy Du Lac: This is tricky. So I'll say this, if it's research based on something that people are gonna complain about, I say Love it. For example, in this one I have them watching La Traviata, but La Traviata, he didn't even write it until 1853, and this is set in 1852.
So I knew it was wrong, but the opera was perfect and it's still in the 1850s. It's not like it's from the 1920s or some stuff like that. So I was just like, they're watching it. Yes, I know. And I put that in my author's note. I was like, yes, I understand. Yes, I know that it was wrong.
I needed it for artistic reasons. Let it go. Move on with your life.
Katherine Grant: All right. So only when you're breaking the historical record.
Addy Du Lac: Yeah.
When you know you are.
Katherine Grant: Yeah.
Well, and are there any other romance rules that I didn't ask about that you like to break?
Addy Du Lac: It follows sort of the same thing where it's the idea that the function of historical romance is not necessarily to be historically accurate, right? Because the point of it is to write a good book that is grounded well enough in a historical setting.
So to me, like I will have, which is not really, I don't think it's a rule, but I feel like some readers find it to be a rule,
They could make out in public. Is it gonna be a problem? Sure. But are they gonna be married when they're doing it? Probably. At which point it's like, is it necess, is it something that would happen? I don't know. I'm not from the Victorian England.
Like, would it be in the historical record if married couples were showing affection to their partner in public? So yeah, I don't see every aspect of historical accuracy, even as a historian. There are certain rules that can be bent and there's certain rules that can be broken.
If it is not going to fundamentally affect the reality of the role that the person is fulfilling, anything like that... I say, do what you want.
Katherine Grant: Alright. Yeah, well, unfortunately we have to wrap up. Where can listeners find you and your books?
Addy Du Lac: So you can find me pretty much pretty much everywhere. You can find me on TikTok and my TikTok Instagram.
You can find me on Facebook. My handle's on TikTok and Instagram are Addy Du Lac author and you know, should be able to find me there. My website is addydulacauthor.net.
Katherine Grant: Yeah, and I'll put that in the show notes. Thank you so much. This has been a really fun conversation
Addy Du Lac: Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
That's it for this week! Don't forget to subscribe to the Historical Romance Sampler wherever you listen, and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Until next week, happy reading!