Bound to the Warrior. Barbara Phinney

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      A Heart Unconquered

      Widowed Saxon Lady Ediva Dunmow will do anything to protect her people—even marry one of the invading Norman knights. The king sees it as a way to keep Ediva, her lands and her tenants subdued. But Ediva’s embittered heart, still healing from the abuse of her first husband, will not yield so easily.

      Marriage never held any appeal for Adrien de Ries. Yet it is his king’s will, and perhaps his Lord’s, too—though he finds his faith tested daily by Ediva’s staunch refusal to trust him. As a knight, Adrien survived many battles, but the fight to win Ediva’s heart may be his most challenging—and rewarding.

      “You’re crying.”

      Blinking, Ediva lifted one small hand to her cheek.

      Adrien sat down beside her. He took up her hand and held it quietly. “I have seen you on the parapet. You’d mentioned that you dreamed of running away.”

      “I thought about escaping to the forest. I wondered how long I could survive there.”

      “Why didn’t you try?”

      She looked at him, her eyes softened by tears. “If I left, my husband would have turned his rage on my people.”

      “Ganute is gone, Ediva.” Adrien squeezed her hand firmly. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

      “And you, Adrien? You’re a soldier, with violence in your blood.”

      ’Twas true. In the past, he’d justified his nature and work well enough and not given it another thought.

      Until now, sitting beside Ediva with her questioning eyes and her pain so deep he feared no one could heal her.

      At a loss, all he could do was lift her hand to his lips and kiss it.

      BARBARA PHINNEY

      was born in England and raised in Canada. She has traveled throughout her life, loving to explore the various countries and cultures of the world. After she retired from the Canadian Armed Forces, Barbara turned her hand to romance writing. The thrill of adventure and the love of happy endings, coupled with a too-active imagination, have merged to help her create this and other wonderful stories. Barbara spends her days writing, building her dream home with her husband and enjoying their fast-growing children.

      Bound to the Warrior

      Barbara Phinney

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      Whoever does not love does not know God,

      because God is love.

      —1 John 4:8

      To my writer friends, the Domino Divas, and all the Love Inspired authors. Thank you for your support and encouragement. This book is for you.

      Contents

       Prologue

       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

       Chapter Twenty-Four

       Epilogue

       Dear Reader

       Questions for Discussion

       Excerpt

      Prologue

      November 1066 A.D.

      Ediva Dunmow had been told she was blessed to have her husband’s body returned. For at Duke William’s order, the English who’d died at Hastings were to remain on Senlac Hill.

      But the only reason she had sent Geoffrey, her steward, for the body was to prove the vile man had actually died.

      Now,