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!