Shackled by her loyalty to her father and her king, the
young bride-to-be only wanted just an hour of freedom on
her last night before she submitted to the demands of a
husband she did not admire or trust. Caught trying to get
away by a young knight from Northumberland, she is finally
permitted her hour. Neither of them realizing that this
short time would linger in their hearts and become a beacon
for love.
After five long and lonely years of cruelty, abuse and
suffering, Lady Mary Catherine Rayburn, now 21 and with a
young son, could no longer keep quiet about the plotting of
her traitorous and mean-spirited husband. Through trusted
contacts, she had send messages to her childhood friend,
Prince Harry, son of King Henry, and now anxiously awaited
the results -- a killing beating or freedom!
With the blood of battle still matted in his hair and
clothes, William Neville FritzAllan's thoughts were grim as
he approached Ross Castle, a marvelous prize that was now
his as well as all its surrounding lands. Spoiling this
victory of battle was the thought of marrying the
treacherous widow of Rayburn, a woman so despicable she
would rat on her own husband! Yet, when he saw the Lady's
lovely hair flying in the wind, he knew she was the woman
who haunted his dreams -- but now how could he ever love her?
All her life, Catherine had been a person of strong and
undivided loyalty to her king, her family and those she
trusted. So, when given the choice of being married to
William or being sent to the Tower, she understood the
king's need to accommodate her good deed while outwardly
showing the world what would happen to traitors and their
families. After all that she had experienced, could she
learn to trust this stranger? How would he react if she
had to share the secrets buried in her heart?
With the perfect attention to detail, Margaret Mallory
instantly pulls you into the midst of medieval life as if
you had always lived there close to the Welsh border.
Belying her first time author status, Mallory proves to be
no beginner as she skillfully develops the interplay
between Catherine and William, two strong willed and
likable characters, as well as weaving in an inspirational
theme of how loyalty, honour and love sustain them as they
struggle through their adversities and find out which
friends are truly loyal. Her writing is finely crafted,
solidly researched, and realistically portrays the tensions
and concerns of these tumultuous times with its rebellions,
shifting loyalties and border disputes. Definitely add
KNIGHT OF DESEIRE to your reading list for guaranteed enjoyment!
FEARLESS IN BATTLE
His surcoat still bloody from battle, William FitzAlan comes
to claim the strategic borderlands granted to him by the
king. One last prize awaits him at the castle gates: the
lovely Lady Catherine Rayburn.
TENDER IN
BED
Catherine risked everything to spy
for the crown. Her reward? Her lands are declared forfeit
and she is given this choice: marry FitzAlan or be taken to
the Tower. Catherine agrees to give her handsome new husband
her body, but she's keeping secrets, and dare not give him
her heart. As passion ignites and danger closes in,
Catherine and William must learn to trust in each other to
save their marriage, their land, and their very
lives.
Excerpt
Catherine. Catherine was in his bed.
In three heartbeats, William went from dumbstruck to
breathless. She was stunning, with her fair hair spilling
over his pillow like a river of moonbeams.
“You have come to me,” he said, not quite believing
it.
She clutched the bedclothes to her chin and nodded.
Now that she was here, he could show her she had
nothing to fear in his bed. He undressed quickly, dropping
his clothes on the floor and lifted the bedcovers. Ignoring
her sharp intake of breath, he slid in beside her.
“Turn toward me, I want to look into your face.”
He held her eyes as he ran his hand up her side to the
tantalizing swell of her breast. Gritting his teeth, he
reminded himself to go slow. He moved his hand back to her
waist, then over the curve of her hip and down her thigh.
He was tight as a bowstring. In a daze of desire, he
kissed her face, her hair, her neck. Against her ear, he
murmured, “I have dreamed of this.”
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