Traveling through a mid-afternoon storm, Lucius White and
his friend, Edmund, come upon a carriage accident and the
seriously injured Lucas Delavert. Drawn to the man who
could be his twin, Lucius agrees to assume the identity of
the dying man. In a strange twist, upon Lucas' death,
Lucius, the last of the original upyr, is given the
very human memories and feelings of the dead man.
Continuing on to Bridesmere, Lucius takes over the Delavert
estate and is soon sought after by mamas with marriageable
daughters.
Theodora Becket, youngest of the Becket sisters, has been
secretly keeping the family in coin by selling finely
stitched cloth locally. Taking a private moment late one
night in the garden, she meets Lucius and is instantly
drawn to the mysterious stranger. Later, she's stunned to
learn the man from the garden is the recently returned
Lucas Delavert, the man she thinks is perfect for her
sister, Caroline.
Lucius is maneuvered into throwing a ball at his home and
the Becket sisters top the guest list. When Lucius is
tricked into a potentially compromising position with a
scheming local beauty, he uses his upyr powers to
extract himself from her clutches. In the end, it's Theo
who's caught with Lucius, and the two are soon married to
avoid scandal. While Lucius desires nothing more than
Theo's love, he's determined not to use his powers to
influence her feelings. Theo can't understand why Lucius
spends much of his time avoiding her. Both are stunned to
discover that not everyone wishes them well. In fact,
someone wants them dead. And it will take more than Lucius'
considerable powers to save them and discover the evil that
threatens.
This story is the most sensual novel of the Midnight
series. Holly's gift of erotic detail is never more evident
than in the relationship between Lucius and Theo. This is a
couple meant to be together, and the development of their
relationship is captivating from their first meeting.
Characters from earlier novels make an appearance, and a
little bit more of the origin of the mysterious upyr
is revealed. COURTING MIDNIGHT is definitely a keeper!