After the death of her parents, Lady Elizabeth Hutton rules
her lands while awaiting the return of her betrothed from
Europe. Lord Bannaster, a power-hungry cousin of the king,
decides to capture the castle, add to his riches and marry
the heiress. Imprisoning Lady Elizabeth in the tower, he
hopes to force her to wed. Elizabeth refuses to concede and
exchanges places with her maid, giving her time to concoct
a plan. Elizabeth's only hope is for her betrothed to come
to her rescue.
As the third son, John, Baron Russell, never expected to
inherit the title and lands. A clumsy and awkward lad, his
father despaired of him ever having a successful life, so
John was sent to make his own way in the world. He grew
into a man able to support himself with tournaments and
mercenary work. At word of his inheritance, John returns to
find his brother has bankrupted his legacy and left the
estate without soldiers or tenants to tend the land.
Unable to mount a defense for Lady Elizabeth, John enters
the castle in disguise, where he meets Elizabeth and does
not recognize her. Together they attempt to foil Lord
Bannaster while a growing passion develops between them.
John is torn between his love of this maid and his oath to
protect and wed the heiress.
Regency writer Gayle Callen is now writing medieval
romances under her new pen name of Julia Latham. A
lady locked in a tower, a secret society and a dastardly
villain make this an enjoyable read on a lazy afternoon.
A lady's deception
Lady Elizabeth Hutton will never succumb to the ambitions
of a neighboring lord—even after his soldiers imprison the
newly orphaned heiress in her own bedchamber. Ever
resourceful, the proud beauty has devised a strategy to
escape the devil who's determined to possess her and her
great wealth: she will switch roles with her loyal maid so
that she can save herself and her people.
A knight's rapture
Sir John Russell's love of adventure has always carried him
to far-flung places and dangers—and now he must ride to the
rescue of the noblewoman he's betrothed to but hasn't seen
since boyhood. However, it is not his bride-to-be but her
bewitching servant who enflames his passion—and Sir John's
desire for the fiery beauty threatens to undermine his
sacred, sworn oath, forcing a noble knight into the most
devastating choice of his life: between duty and
honor . . . or ecstasy and disgrace.