Falling for the Enemy
An Unlikely AllianceBetrayed and stranded in France at the height of war, Lord Gregory Halston has few options. After rescuing his ailing brother from jail, they struggle to survive in hostile territory without outing themselves as Englishmen. Gregory hopes the feisty French peasant woman he meets is willing to guide them to safety.Danielle Belanger doesn't wish to protect any man from the same country responsible for her brother's demise. But there's something about the determined Englishman that makes her willing to try. Though a match between Danielle and Gregory is impossible, their attraction can't be denied. The only thing more dangerous than aiding the enemy…is falling in love with him.
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An Unlikely Alliance
Betrayed and stranded in France at the height of war, Lord Gregory Halston has few options. After rescuing his ailing brother from jail, they struggle to survive in hostile territory without outing themselves as Englishmen. Gregory hopes the feisty French peasant woman he meets is willing to guide them to safety.
Danielle Belanger doesnât wish to protect any man from the same country responsible for her brotherâs demise. But thereâs something about the determined Englishman that makes her willing to try. Though a match between Danielle and Gregory is impossible, their attraction canât be denied. The only thing more dangerous than aiding the enemyâ¦is falling in love with him.
âMy brother has spent the past year and a half trapped in your horrid country.â
Frustration ground across the edges of his words. âWhen I came to rescue him, the French guide I paid quite handsomely betrayed us. Now Westerfield might well be dying, and he needs help. What must I do to convince you to help us?â
âThat man is your brother? The sick one with the wretched cough?â
He probably raised that arrogant eyebrow at her, except she couldnât see it in the black. âDoes it make a difference?â
It didnât. Or rather, it shouldnât. But could she blame him for wanting to protect his family? âWhen you learned he fell ill, you came over from England solely to get him?â
âAgain, why does it matter?â His voice was hard, as though he hadnât a drop of mercy anywhere inside his tall, lanky form.
âBecauseâ¦becauseâ¦â Because I had an older brother once, and if heâd been trapped in your country, I would have done anything to save him.
But Laurent wasnât trapped in England. He was dead.
Because of England.
NAOMI RAWLINGS
A mother of two young boys, Naomi Rawlings spends her days picking up, cleaning, playing and, of course, writing. Her husband pastors a small church in Michiganâs rugged Upper Peninsula, where her family shares its ten wooded acres with black bears, wolves, coyotes, deer and bald eagles. Naomi and her family live only three miles from Lake Superior, and while the scenery is beautiful, the area averages two hundred inches of snow per winter. Naomi writes bold, dramatic stories containing passionate words and powerful journeys. If you enjoyed the novel, she would love to hear from you. You can write Naomi at P.O. Box 134, Ontonagon, MI 49953, or contact her via her website and blog, at www.naomirawlings.com.
For there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
âGalatians 3:28
To my in-laws, George and Becky,
for raising a wonderful son and being awesome grandparents.
First and foremost, Iâd like to thank my husband, Brian, who loves and encourages me through each book I write. Second, Iâd like to thank my critique partner, Melissa Jagears. My writing would suffer greatly without your hard work and keen insights, and my heart would suffer greatly without your friendship. Thank you for all the hours of critiquing you poured into this story.
I also want to thank my agent, Natasha Kern, for supporting me both professionally and personally. Thank you to my editor, Elizabeth Mazer, for your helpful suggestions and enthusiasm about my storiesâand especially for your love of all things French.
Beyond these people, numerous others have given me support in one way or another: Sally Chambers, Glenn Haggerty, Roseanna White and Laurie Alice Eakes, to name a few.
Thank you all for your time and effort and helping me to write the best books I possibly can.
Contents
Countryside of Ardennes, France January 1805
Blackness pulsed around him, reaching its icy tentacles out to swirl about his feet and beneath his coat, up his torso until it nearly froze his skin. The tree branches clattered above, scrawny and bare of leaves as they scraped together like skeleton fingers. But Gregory Halston, third son of the sixth Marquess of Westerfield, remained still despite the foreboding sense that permeated the night, shrouding himself against a centuries-old oak as he stared at the fortified castle in the center of the field.
âDo you see them yet, Lord Gregory?â
âNo.â
But they had to be coming. Any moment now. Too much planning had gone into this night for something to go awry. The journey across the English Channel and a hostile country at war with his own, the exorbitant funds paid for a guide to lead them through a land that had been fighting for nearly a decade, an even larger sum paid to bribe a cook and a guard to sneak messages, ropes and a sack of supplies to a certain pair of prisoners inside.
