The Bride Of Windermere. Margo Maguire

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      “Sir! You intrude!” Kit gasped as she turned and saw him. Letter to Reader Title Page MARGO MAGUIRE Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-three Copyright

      “Sir! You intrude!” Kit gasped as she turned and saw him.

      The man moved quickly, and Kit had no chance to grab the dagger hidden among her clothes. She did not wish to reveal the weapon’s existence yet. Better to be civil and await the opportunity to gain her knife without a struggle.

      

      “I hesitate to apologize,” he said, still unable to see her face due to her cloak’s large hood. “I was unaware of your presence here until a moment ago, and I will not deny that I enjoyed the few glimpses you allowed me.”

      

      “Unbeknownst to me!”

      

      “You are cold.”

      

      “The man is a scholar,” she muttered to herself as he came even closer.

      

      Kit refused to be intimidated by his size. He was a big man at a distance and absolutely massive close at hand. She knew he could have her flat on her back in seconds....

      Dear Reader,

      

      Entertainment. Escape. Fantasy. These three words describe the heart of Harlequin Historicals. If you want compelling, emotional stories by some of the best writers in the field, look no further.

      

      We think Margo Maguire is one of the best new writers in the field. Her debut book, The Bride of Windermere, is a captivating marriage of convenience tale set in medieval England. A knight, Wolfram “Wolf” Gerhart, has been sent by King Henry V to escort the beautiful Kit Somers to court. En route, Kit and Wolf waylay at his lost estate, where they begin to fall in love. Court intrigue, a surprise inheritance and passion abound from start to finish!

      

      Silver Hearts is a charming new Western by Jackie Manning. Here, a doctor turned cowboy rescues a feisty Eastern miss on the trail, and their paths just keep crossing! Joe’s Wife, by the talented Cheryl St.John, is an emotional Americana story of a bad boy turned good and his longtime secret crush, now a widow, who proposes a marriage of convenience.

      

      Rounding out the month is My Lord Protector by newcomer Deborah Hale. Set in 1742 England, a young woman forced to wed ends up marrying her fiancé’s uncle, who’ll “protect” her until his nephew returns. Unexpectedly the two fall madly in love!

      

      Whatever your tastes in reading, you’ll be sure to find a romantic journey back to the past between the covers of a Harlequin Historical^®.

      

      Sincerely,

      

      Tracy Farrell, Senior Editor

      Please address questions and book requests to: Harlequin Reader Service U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269 Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

      The Bride of Windermere

      Margo Maguire

      

      

www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MARGO MAGUIRE

      lives in the Detroit area with her husband and three school-age children. She’s worked as a critical-care nurse for years, writes when she has time and is an active volunteer in her local schools and community. After returning to college to earn a degree in history, Margo came to realize that an awful lot of history was stranger than fiction. She decided it would be fun to put the two together.

      To Mike and our three wild ones.

       Everything is possible with you.

      Chapter One

      

      

      Northumberland, England

      Late April, 1421

      

      Damn the man! Damn that fool, Baron Somers!

      Wolfram Gerhart Colston strode through the forest, toward the lake, away from his men. How could Somers possibly think he could defy the king’s orders? Who in kingdom come did he think he was? The monarch had sent Wolf to fetch the man’s stepdaughter and fetch her he would! He was damned if he’d go back empty-handed, and there was little time to waste. It didn’t matter how hard Somers tried to withhold the girl, Wolf would get her to London.

      The huge knight deftly sidestepped a fallen branch in the dark and continued on his route to the lake, hoping for a few moments of peace near the dark water. It was near midnight and he’d been unable to sleep, so annoyed was he with the recalcitrant baron, a mean and lazy drunkard. Edith, his lady wife, was just as bad with her cloying ways and batting eyes.

      Wolf had to admit he was more than a little exasperated by the entire situation. What in God’s name could King Henry V possibly want with little Kathryn Somers? Henry had only recently returned from France with his bride, Catherine of Valois; Wolf could not understand what was so important about this one girl in Northumberland. What’s more, Wolf resented the fact that he had been the one sent to this remote county to collect the child.

      Wasn’t Wolf known for his cold precision, his prowess in battle and his immunity