Warrior's Deception
Love Had No Place In The Life Of Roen De Galiard, Knight Of NormandyFor the past had taught him well the perfidy of women, and the beauteous Lady Lenora was likely no different. But now duty called for him to ferret out a traitor - by surrendering his very heart and soul!Fate had bound the free-spirited Lenora in marriage to Sir Roen, and though the valorous knight believed not in love, he had stormed the walls of her resistance… and set her passion free! March Madness - Don't miss these talented newcomers to the field of historical romance!
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Table of Contents
From the corner of her eye, Lenora saw a shadow swoop down on her.
A huge mail-covered hand appeared out of nowhere, yanking her from her horse, and her back hit against a hard wall of metal. Stunned, she found herself breathless and dumped into the lap of an armor-clad knight.
“Let go of me!” She kicked and thrashed her legs, trying to free herself. “Who are you?” She twisted in her captor’s grasp and her eyes traveled up to the knight’s face.
A wide nosepiece on his helmet obscured his face. Only his eyes were visible. The hard-fought air she had strived for escaped her lungs in a low, desperate sigh. “Nay, it cannot be!” The knight’s dark gray eyes glowered at her, and a current of fear whorled through her.
“I’ve come to settle our bet, Lady Lenora.”
Roen de Galliard removed his helmet, tucked it under his arm and shook his head like a mighty golden lion. “Among other things.” He wrapped his viselike arm around her waist and pulled her tightly toward him….
Dear Reader,
When we ran our first March Madness promotion in 1992, we had no idea that we would get such a wonderful response. Our springtime showcase of brand-new authors has been so successful that we’ve continued to seek out talented new writers and introduce them into the field of historical romance. During our yearly search, my editors and I have the unique opportunity of reading hundreds of manuscripts from unpublished authors, and we’d like to take this time to thank all of you who have given us the chance to review your work.
In Warrior’s Deception, Diana Hall’s powerful first book, a young woman suddenly finds herself married to a forbidding knight who has been ordered to protect her from the intrigue and danger that threaten her family.
And be sure to keep an eye out for our other three March titles. Western Rose by Lynna Banning, the story of a rancher and a schoolteacher who must work out their differences before they accept their love. Fool’s Paradise by Tori Phillips, the charming tale of a noblewoman and the jester who becomes her protector. And The Pearl Stallion, the story of an adventurous voyage by Rae Muir.
Four new talents, four great stories from Harlequin Historicals. Don’t miss a single one!
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
DIANA HALL
If experience feeds a writer’s soul, then I must be stuffed.
I’ve worked as a pickle packer, a ticket taker at a drive-in movie, a waitress, a bartender, a factory worker, a truck driver cementing oil wells in south Texas, a geological technician with oil companies, a teacher, a part-time ecological travel agent and now an author. The only job I’ve kept longer than five years is wife and mother.
A geographical accident, I was meant to live in the South. After high school I left rural Ohio and attended college in Mobile, Alabama. There I fell in love with balmy nights and the beaches of the Gulf. I now live in a suburb of Houston, Texas, with my understanding husband, a beautiful daughter, a sedate, overweight collie and a hyperactive dalmatian.
To Rick for all his love and support. To Jessica for her wonderful character names. To Debbie, Michele, and Merydith for all their help. To Jean, Dee, and Margaret for their energy and belief.
Thanks
ENGLAND-1154
“I shan’t go.” Lenora’s auburn braid whipped from side to side as she clipped each word.
Her aunt’s icy blue eyes narrowed and her thin lips drew up into a tight pucker. Her cousin, Beatrice, cowered behind her mother’s outraged body.
“You must go.” The woman’s voice changed from insistent to pleading. “Think of Beatrice. This may be my only chance, our only chance, to regain some dignity.” She shoved her frightened daughter forward. “The girl’s sixteen and well in need of a husband. This is the perfect opportunity to make a suitable match.”
Lenora did not miss the terror-filled look that entered Beatrice’s warm blue eyes. Her small frame trembled, tears glistened in her eyes.
“’Tis not to be, Aunt Matilda.” Her voice carried across the great hall of Woodshadow. Her tone trumpeted defiance and she gave her timid cousin a reassuring smile. No matter the consequences, she would protect her, even against Beatrice’s own mother.
The servants stopped in their preparation for the noon meal. Even the hounds paused in their hunt for scraps among the floor rushes.
The older woman’s glare encompassed the room. The serfs resumed their duties. Behind her aunt’s back, a young boy gave Lenora an exaggerated wink and clutched his throat in a comic mime. She bit the inside of her cheek to contain her laughter.
