William Felkirk wakes, thinking that he must have been
extremely hung over, but his family are gathered, worried
about him. A lovely young woman is introduced as Justine...
his wife. He doesn't remember a wife. Now he learns that
he's been missing from home, and unconscious for months
after falling from a horse. Justine brought him back to his
family. THE TRUTH ABOUT LADY FELKIRK will take him some
time to discover.
Justine finds a mix of thoughts rushing through her head.
She is indeed flying false colours. Her family was injured
by the Felkirk family, and she wants what is due to her.
She never wished William harm, but took advantage of the
situation. His amnesia might prove convenient as nobody
will know where truth ends and lies start. As a naturally
quiet, modest person, she doesn't draw attention to
herself. This doesn't stop the recovering lord from
looking at her however, and she starts wondering how far
she'll have to take the act.
I liked the clear potential for mischief and tension in the
opening chapters. The slow progress of the invalid is
interesting as we see the care of the day. Then we find
that a ruthless person is manipulating the otherwise
harmless Justine, and the situation starts to feel more
menacing.
There are well-researched details which will reward the
reader. The story is set in Wales, so the grand houses
started out as fortified castles built by the Norman
invaders. Justine makes Belgian lace to occupy her time. A
dainty touch is the use of ice in preparing a sweet course
and keeping butter from melting on the table. As this is an
adult romance, both William and Justine spend time thinking
about their intimacy, or lack of it, and how to conduct
themselves in the bedchamber.
The author Christine Merrill has clearly had a good time
creating this historical romp and she has a host of
previous titles to delight any new readers who want to
catch up with her tales. Once you find THE TRUTH ABOUT LADY
FELKIRK you will want to keep reading Merrill's romances.
When William Felkirk opens his eyes, the past six months are
blank. What happened? And who is this beautiful woman
claiming to be his wife and caring for his broken body?
Justine will do anything to protect her sister, even if that
means pretending to be a stranger's wife. She must guard the
reasons for her deception with her life.
But with every passing day, William unlocks her heart just a
little more, and Justine knows she won't be able to hide the
truth forever….