Abigail Barton is content with her life in a country
village, where she's known and accepted as the local
healer. As a wizard's daughter who possesses powers of her
own, she knows she'd be regarded with suspicion, if not
outright animosity, in London. Her closest contact with
young noblemen is watching them from a distance as they
ride through the fields on the hunt. She finds herself
watching for one in particular: Jack Langdon, now Lord
Frayne, whom she met briefly once and has not been able to
forget. Abby could never imagine the circumstances under
which they are about to meet again.
Jack Langdon has a reputation as a risk-taker, whether on
the battlefield or the hunting field. He's even earned the
nickname "Lucky Jack" for surviving his adventures. But on
this day, urging his horse over what should be a simple
jump, Jack's luck runs out. The horse throws him and Jack
is paralyzed, near death, when his friends bring him to
Abby's house. Although he abhors magic and wizards, his
desire to live is strong. In his desperation, he even
agrees to Abby's price: marriage.
Abby isn't sure why she made Jack promise marriage, but as
he heals under her care, she is sure that she's falling in
love with him. Jack, who is struggling to reconcile his
growing feelings for Abby with his intense dislike of
wizardry, is shocked to find out that he, too, possesses
the gift of magic. It's a gift he'd like to return until he
finds out that an unseen enemy has been controlling him and
his family for years. Together, he and Abby will have to
call upon all their powers to overcome this dark force and
be free to face their future together.
Let Mary Jo Putney weave her magic around you with
this delightful blend of fantasy and romance. Even without
her magic, Abby is a generous, intelligent, strong woman
who is more than a match for ex-soldier Jack. The fantasy
element is understated, adding just the right spark to the
relationship, but it's ultimately love that casts the
strongest spell in this story.
While the everyday use of magic in England is normal among
the lower classes, it is shunned by the nobility. Lord Jack
Frayne, a respected army officer and member of the peerage,
hides a shameful secret -- a talent for magic which he must
suppress at all costs or disgrace his family. When a mortal
hunting injury puts him at death's door, his only chance to
live is Abigail Barton, a skilled healer and wizard, as
well as the daughter of a country peer. Her price: his hand
in marriage. At first he resists her, but soon he discovers
an irresistible attraction to his new wife as powerful as
the reawakening magical abilities he can no longer deny.
Together, Abigail and Jack challenge the ton's
prejudice against magic, solve the mystery surrounding the
curse on his family, and discover a love more powerful than
they ever imagined.