Bertrice Small's breathless Border Chronicles continues as a mysterious nobleman and his bartered new bride untangle a plot of illicit seduction, daring betrayal, and deadly royal intrigue...Called the handsomest man in the Borders, Angus Ferguson, earl of Duin, lives a quiet life avoiding the constant political intrigues of his neighbors in order to keep his small clan safe. Now in exchange for a piece of land he has long coveted he has taken a wife. Annabella Baird, the plain-faced daughter of the laird of Rath.Reluctant at first to bed the unassuming Annabella, Angus finally accepts his duty as a husband only to discover that beneath his bride's modest demeanor is a wildcat with a spark waiting to be ignited. When, however, they accept an invitation to the court of Scotland's Queen Mary they find themselves caught up in royal intrigue.
