by Crystal Caudill | Sep 9, 2025 | Character Interview
I think by now we all know what an Erica Vetsch fan I am, and I am just SOOOOOO excited to get to steal away Sir Bertrand Thorndike from Erica for just a little while. I mean, who doesn’t want to spend time with a member of the House of Commons who moonlights as a spy? Before we dive into talking to Bertie. Here is the smashing blurb for book 2 of the Of Cloaks and Daggers series, A Scheming in Parliament. Oh, and by the way, Erica is generously giving away a print copy of the book to one lucky U.S. resident. Check out the details at the end of this post!
A Scheming at Parliament by Erica Vetsch
Evil is masquerading in the halls of Parliament, and Sir Bertrand Thorndike is tasked with investigating from the inside. With his new position as a member of the House of Commons, he has access to the power brokers of English government. His tactic is to listen and learn, careful not to reveal his true motives, and he’s quickly inducted into the mysterious Theban Club.
Miss Philippa Cashel’s mission, the Princess Charlotte Eleos School for Women in Need, is thriving with donations, and the students are learning skills to help them earn their livings in honorable ways. But when a dear friend’s past is revealed by blackmail, Philippa must wrestle with the question, Is it ever right to do the wrong thing?
Bertie’s and Philippa’s missions collide when Bertie uncovers a dangerous plot involving vulnerable women. He and Philippa join forces against the corruption threatening to topple England’s government, all while navigating their outward reputations and inward feelings for each other.Purchase Links: Amazon | Baker Book House | Christos | Kregel Parable
Now for our interview with Sir Bertrand.
CC: I’m so excited to get to introduce you to my readers. Would you mind telling them a little bit about yourself?
SBT: I suppose you could say I am the hero of the story, though it seems odd to consider myself such. I’m the second son of an earl, knighted by His Majesty for contributions to the kingdom, a newly elected Member of Parliament for the borough of Southwark. But my most important job is as an agent for the Crown.
CC: Oh you are most definitely a hero, and I’m so excited to spend some time with you.Â
Since you are an agent for the Crown, what is it that you are searching for and what is standing in your way?
SBT:Â Currently, I want to discover and root out corruption in British politics. There is skullduggery afoot in the House of Commons, and I have been tasked by my supervisor to identify it and the culprits perpetrating it.
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CC: I adore that word skullduggery, it’s such a perfect description of what troubles surround you. I don’t suspect you have much time to just relax and read a book, but IF you did, what would you pick up?
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SBT: I mostly read the newspaper and the reports that come across my desk, though now that I am an MP, there seems to be nothing but reading! If I was to pick up a book there are a couple that are getting a lot of attention at the moment…written by “A Lady.” Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice seem intriguing. My supervisor’s wife has read them and highly approves.
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CC: Ah yes. That “A Lady” is quite the writer, though I imagine the number of men who would say they enjoy her writing are far fewer than the women. LOL I assume that growing up to be an agent for the Crown wasn’t something you were aware of as a possibility. Was there anything else you ever wanted to be?
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SBT: As the second son of an earl, my options were somewhat limited until I learned of the family business. I come from a long line of spies for the Crown. After I became aware of my heritage, there was no question but that I would join their ranks. Though before that time, when I was a boy, I dreamed of being a pirate, a soldier, and oddly enough, a pie man. When we would go to London, I loved buying a pie from a costermonger’s cart, and I thought if I became a pie man, I could have all the pies I wanted.
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CC: LOL, oh if only we could eat all the pies we wanted, even as a constermonger. You sound like the typical boy, and I bet you were adored by your family. Although things can change. How do you think others view you?Â
SBT: Until recently, most would have viewed me as an idle dilletante who had a fondness for drink. This was a persona I cultivated in my work as a spy. People are less careful about what they say to someone they believe is sotted beyond what they will remember on the morrow. Very useful in my line of work. However, lately, I have been encouraged to clean up my reputation, stand for Parliament, and even to cast about for a wife. Neither of these personas are the ‘real me’ but they are what I present to the world. I am not bothered about what people think about these fictional characters I play. I find them a good way to keep people at a distance and from knowing the person behind the facade.
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CC: Living a facade must get tiring though. I imagine you wish that one day there would be someone who would see you and love you for the real you. What do you think about love and marriage? IS there a particular woman you have in mind for a future?
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SBT: If you had asked me a few months ago, I would have said love and marriage were fine for other people, but I was not tempted in the least. However, lately, there is one certain young lady who has caught my eye. It’s only too bad that she is even more averse to marriage than I was not long ago. Winning her would be an uphill battle for sure.
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CC: Ah, but hard-won loves are the best in my opinion. I can’t wait to see how this uphill battle goes for you as you bring an end to all skullduggary and villains. LAST question, do you have any phobias?Â
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SBT: Heights, spiders, tight spaces, having to eat seafood…
CC: Oh dear. If ever you have dinner at my house, I’ll have to keep that in mind. We are big seafood fans.
Readers, I hope you will get to know Sir Bertrand better yourselves by diving into his latest adventure, A Scheming in Parliament by Erica Vetsch.
About Erica Vetsch:
Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com and you can find her on Facebook at The Inspirational Regency Readers Group where she spends way too much time!
Connect with Erica: Website | Newsletter | Inspirational Regency Readers Group |  Instagram |  BookBub
Giveaway
Here’s your chance to win a copy of A Scheming in Parliament. Comment on the blog and enter using the Gleam Widget for your chance to win! Entries close at 11:59 p.m. EST on 9/16. Open to legal U.S. residents. See Giveaway Policies for more details.
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Erica Vetsch – Print copy of A Scheming in Parliament with some swag US only
by Crystal Caudill | Oct 8, 2024 | Character Interview
I absolutely adore all of Erica Vetch’s characters, and Miss Philippa Cashel is no different. I am almost halfway through her story, but due to life, deadlines, and having to start a massive project over, Miss Phillipa and Bertie glare at me from the shelf. They do not like where I left them, and I can’t say I do either. Even as I’m forced to wait to find out what happens, I am NOT forced to wait to talk to her for this interview. I’m counting it as one of the benefits of getting to count my blog as part of my job. So before spending time with Miss Phillipa, let me introduce you to her story.Â
A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch
The Home Office has asked Sir Bertrand Thorndike to head an investigation into stolen royal jewels. It’s the perfect chance for Bertie to step out of his brother’s long shadow. His superior, The Duke of Haverly, has a plan that makes him balk: in order to sell his cover, Bertie must play the part of a man looking for love, ready to reform his rakish ways. The duke is willing to let Bertie name his own investigative team, but his recommendation that the team include Philippa Cashel has Bertie on his guard. Does the duke-known for his behind-the-scenes machinations-have an ulterior motive?
Philippa Cashel escaped her life as one of society’s best-known courtesans, devoting her life to helping other women in dire straits. So when Sir Bertrand Thorndike approaches her about joining his team as an agent of the Crown, she is skeptical. She’s focused on getting her school for underprivileged women up and running, not in cloak-and-dagger skullduggery. Her hope is that if she labors hard enough at her charity work, she might begin to feel worthy of God’s forgiveness. When one of Philippa’s rescued girls is arrested for stealing the royal jewels and another is murdered, Philippa will risk partnering with Bertie to find the loot and stop the killer. Two brilliant minds-with two wary hearts-and one cunning deceiver are on a collision course in Regency England.
Purchase Links: Amazon | Baker Book House |  Christianbook
Now for our interview with Miss Philippa.
CC: I’m so excited to get to introduce you to my readers, Miss Philippa. Would you mind telling them a little bit about yourself?
PC: I find it so difficult to introduce myself, as I do not wish to hold on to the past, but my past has shaped so much of my present. Though I hope my present is what is shaping my future and I can put the early years of my life behind me. You see, I am the illegitimate child of an earl and his long-time mistress. At least she was his mistress until he decided one day that she was not. This action forced us onto the streets of London, and I supported us the only way I knew how…and consequently became one of the most sought-after courtesans in the city. But the love of my half-sister and her husband showed me that I could leave that life and forge a new one, rescuing women who used to be as I was. A Thieving at Carlton House shows me embarking on the biggest part of my new way of life…forming a charity for women in dire straits. Though I’m about to find myself in some dire straits of my own!
CC: Why, yes. Yes, you are. But some of the worst dire straits bring about some of the most amazing futures, and I’m eagerly trying to meet my word count goals so that I get to see what that is.
What or who is your biggest problem in life?Â
PC: From the outside, people would say my biggest problem in life is trying to overcome my past as a ‘fallen woman’ but I know that my greatest problem is the unforgiveness I’m toting around concerning my father’s abandonment, and how that’s eating at my soul.
CC: Unforgiveness is so difficult to overcome. How often do we think that it doesn’t hurt anyone by the person you deny it to when really it is us who suffer the most? I feel for you as you walk this road.
Since you have such a difficult past, I’m sure tha thas affected your relationship with God. How would you describe your relationship with Him?
PC: When I was on the streets, my relationship with God was best described as adversarial. Now I would describe myself as a fledgling in my faith, a bit tentative, and always wondering if I’m worthy of His love. I’ve a long way to go, it seems.
CC: It is definitely a life-long journey.
How do you think others view you? Do you feel this is an accurate representation of you? Does it bother you or make you feel good about yourself?
PC: Most men tend to see me as an object, a pretty thing to parade around. Though not my brother-in-law or strangely, Sir Bertrand Thorndike, with whom I work in a secret capacity for our Majesty’s Government. My father views me as something he’d rather forget…and has done an admirable job in that endeavor. The new pupils at the Eleos School for Women in Need, hopefully see me as a friend and mentor.
CC: I know those girls would be in a completely different place without you, and I am certain they look up to you as a friend and mentor. I know I would.
Tell us a little bit of the personal journey you go on throughout this story. What areas of growth do you find yourself facing?
PC: Though I have some very real danger, it is the road to forgiveness that I find the most arduous to traverse.
CC: Amen and hugs.Â
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?Â
PC: I would change my circumstances more than myself. I would have been a much-cherished daughter of a happily married couple, secure in their love and never forced out onto the streets. At times, I have despised my face and form, as they are appealing to many men, but I was also grateful for it, as it allowed me to live a certain way, with beautiful things and plenty to eat at that time of my life.
CC: I think there are aspects of all of our past circumstances that we wish we could have changed, but the older I get the more I realize those difficult circumstances were needed to make me who I am today. There would be many a girl’s life who would be still on the street if you hadn’t walked through what you did, rose above it by God’s grace, and then turned it into a ministry.Â
What is your greatest skill that helps you through the story or makes you appealing to a possible love interest?
PC: I’m resilient. And I can read people. I can sense when someone is lying or hiding something. And I am a very good listener.
CC: I happen to know for a fact that these skills are very helpful for you in this story . . . and attractive to a certain man.
If you were to describe yourself as an animal, which animal would it be and why?Â
PC: A cat. Wary, a bit aloof, and only comfortable in a situation where I feel safe.
CC: I can see that!
How would you describe the love interest of the story?Â
PC: I am in no danger of falling in love. My past makes romantic love impossible. I must concentrate on healing from my trauma and focus on pouring my affection into the girls I rescue…though if I was to fall in love, it would have to be someone I respected, and who had a generous nature, who saw me as a person of worth, not an object to own and display.
CC: I think God is in the business of surprising us with the secret desires of our heart. I’m certainly looking forward to reading the rest of this book . . . and the rest of the series. I am sure there will be much that will surprise you and us (the readers).
If there is one thing you could tell the reader, what would it be?Â
PC: Harboring unforgiveness against someone is like drinking poison and hoping the other person gets ill. You only damage yourself by not forgiving…forgiving doesn’t release the other person of responsibility. Forgiving keeps that person’s actions from ruining your life.
CC: Definitely a life lesson for us all . . . and a hard one to learn.
Readers, you probably can already anticipate what I have to say: GO GET PHILIPPA’S STORY, A Theiving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch. We MUST know what happens to Philippa and how God chooses to work in her life.Â
Let me know in the comments: Have you read The Gentleman Spy (where we first met her) or A Theiving of Carlton House? What do you think of Philippa?
About Erica Vetsch:
Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com and you can find her on Facebook at The Inspirational Regency Readers Group where she spends way too much time!
Connect with Erica: Website/Newsletter | Facebook |  Instagram |  BookBub
