An Oath Sworn

by Diana Cosby

  “Marie?” the king’s voice boomed with fear.

  With her in his arms, Colyne faced the powerful ruler.

  Her father, followed by several of his knights holding torches, closed in. A pace away, they halted. King Philip’s fierce gaze narrowed on Colyne. “I demand to know what is going on!”

  “Colyne saved my life,” Marie stated with pride.

  The sovereign arched a doubtful brow.

  “Sire,” Colyne said, “there is a man lying in the bailey below. Moments ago, he met with the Duke of Vocette in secret, a rendezvous both Lady Marie and I overheard.”

  The king’s eyes shifted to Marie. “Is this true?”

  “Oui. They discussed my abduction. It seems Gaston was involved in the entire scheme, and it was he who led them to me.”

  A muscle worked in her father’s jaw. “This explains why you were so easily taken.”

  “Aye,” Colyne agreed. “His accomplice also revealed that the Duke of Renard is still in France. He is hiding until arrangements are made for him to sail back to England.”

  A humorless smile touched the king’s lips. “Arrangements will be made, but far from those he expects. Renard will regret that he dared to try to sway my support from Scotland by abducting my daughter.” Beneath the torchlight, the king’s gaze grew somber as he assessed Colyne. “Twice now you have aided me. I offer you my greatest appreciation.”

  Colyne bowed.

  His face taunt with worry, King Philip gazed upon his daughter. “I feared for your life. Had anything happened to you . . . I love you, Marie.”

  “I love you too, Father.” Tears rolled down her face as Marie ran to him and gave him a big hug, her doubts and fears falling away. The bond between them was solid. Never again would she doubt that he wanted her in his life.

  A sincere smile touched her father’s mouth. “But I shall never become used to your independent ways.”

  Colyne stepped forward. “A fact I am more than willing to take charge of, Sire.”

  Brow arched, the king studied the Scot.

  Pride filled Marie as Colyne held her father’s gaze with fierce resolve.

  “I am aware the situation is far from proper,” Colyne stated, “but I am requesting permission for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”

  “And your reason?” the king demanded.

  Tenderness creased Colyne’s face as he turned toward her with a look so filled with love that her heart ached. “Because, Sire, I am in love with Marie. I want to care for her, to help raise our child, and to cherish her for the rest of her life.”

  In the torchlight, wonder shone in her father’s eyes as he glanced from Colyne to Marie. “Child? Is this true?”

  Tears streamed down her cheeks as she nodded. “Oui.”

  A happy smile curved her father’s face. “In light of recent events, I hereby end your betrothal. You are free to marry the man you choose.”

  She gave him another hug. “You have made me so happy.”

  He nodded to Colyne. “You have my blessing.” The king pressed a kiss on her brow, and then stepped back as Colyne moved to her side.

  Happiness pouring through her, Marie turned.

  On an unsteady breath, Colyne cupped her face. “I love you, Marie. I want to grow old with you, to share the happiness of our every day, and to hold you as we watch our children grow. Marry me; you are all I need to make my life complete.”

  Emotion tightened in her throat as she stared at the man who was her life, her love, and who she wanted to be with forever. She threw herself into his arms. “Oui!”

  In the candlelit chamber, Marie stared at Colyne, their bodies still joined from making love. “When I think of you almost dying—”

  Colyne silenced her with a gentle kiss, his taste stealing over her, tempting her to make love with him yet again. “ ’Tis over now. A fortnight has passed since Renard was captured.”

  Memories lingered of how, when her father had learned the location of the English noble’s hiding place, he’d stormed off to personally make the arrest. “He will regret his part in the deceitful plot.”

  “Aye, with his life. But”—Colyne kissed her until her thoughts hazed—“I can think of many things to do this night besides talking of your father’s anger, or of those who would try to usurp Scotland’s freedom.”

  She shuddered against him, this moment fulfilling her every hope and dream.

  “I love you, Marie. Never will I tire of telling you so.”

  “Nor I you. You are my heart, my life. Never did I believe I would find a man who would want me for myself.” She smiled. “Then I was blessed with you.”

  Tenderness mingled with the passion in his eyes. “ ’Tis I who am blessed.” He claimed her mouth in a tender kiss, and with excruciating slowness, he tasted her, unhurried, savoring. When he nipped at the skin along the curve of her throat, she could only groan as she basked in his every touch.

  Hours later, Marie lay beside Colyne, her pulse still racing from making love. A smile touched her lips as she caught sight of her worn copy of the tales of King Arthur, which she’d received in her eighth summer.

  Throughout her life she’d believed the brave knights who graced the pages were naught but characters crafted to entertain children and make grown women sigh. But it’d turned out they were true. Like Sir Lancelot, Colyne had ridden into her life, swept her away, and won her heart.

  Be sure to read the first two books

  In the Oath Trilogy

  AN OATH TAKEN

  And

  AN OATH BROKEN

  Available now

  From

  Lyrical Press

  AN OATH TAKEN

  As the new castellan, Sir Nicholas Beringar has the daunting task of rebuilding Ravenmoor Castle on the Scottish border and gaining the trust of the locals—one of whom wastes no time in trying to rob him. Instead of punishing the boy, Nicholas decides to make him his squire. Little does he know the thieving young lad is really . . . a lady.

  Lady Elizabet Armstrong had donned a disguise in an attempt to free her brother from Ravenmoor’s dungeons. Although intimidated by the confident Englishman with his well-honed muscles and beguiling eyes, she cannot refuse his offer.

  Nicholas senses that his new squire is not what he seems. His gentle attempts to break through the boy’s defenses leave Elizabet powerless to stem the desire that engulfs her. And when the truth is exposed, she’ll have to trust in Nicholas’s honor to help her people—and to surrender to his touch . . .

  AN OATH BROKEN

  Lady Sarra Bellacote would sooner marry a boar than a countryman of the bloodthirsty brutes who killed her parents. And yet, despite—or perhaps because of—her valuable holdings, she is being dragged to Scotland to be wed against her will. To complicate the desperate situation, the knight hired to do the dragging is dark, wild, irresistible. And he, too, is intolerably Scottish.

  Giric Armstrong, Earl of Terrick, takes no pleasure in escorting a feisty English lass to her betrothed. But he needs the coin to rebuild his castle, and his tenants need to eat. Yet the trip will not be the simple matter he imagined. For Lady Sarra isn’t the only one determined to see her engagement fail. Men with darker motives want to stop the wedding—even if they must kill the bride in the process.

  Now, in close quarters with this beautiful English heiress, Terrick must fight his mounting desire, and somehow keep Sarra alive long enough to lose her forever to another man . . .

  HIS CAPTIVE

  With a wastrel brother and a treacherous former fiancé, Lady Nichola Westcott hardly expects the dangerously seductive Scot who kidnaps her to be a man of his word. Though Sir Alexander MacGruder promises not to hurt her, Nichola’s only value is as a pawn to be ransomed.

  Alexander’s goal is to avenge his father’s murder, not to become entangled with the enemy. But his desire to keep Nichola with him, in his home—in his bed—unwittingly makes her a target for those who have no qualms about shedding English blood.<
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  Now Nichola is trapped—by her powerful attraction to a man whose touch shakes her to the core. Unwilling and unable to resist each other, can Nichola and Alexander save a love that has enslaved them both?

  HIS WOMAN

  Lady Isabel Adair is the last woman Sir Duncan MacGruder wants to see again, much less be obliged to save. Three years ago, Isabel broke their engagement to become the Earl of Frasyer’s mistress, shattering Duncan’s heart and hopes in one painful blow. But Duncan’s promise to Isabel’s dying brother compels him to rescue her from those determined to bring down Scottish rebel Sir William Wallace.

  Betraying the man she loved was the only way for Isabel to save her father, but every moment she spends with Duncan reminds her just how much she sacrificed. No one could blame him for despising her, yet Duncan’s misgivings cannot withstand a desire that has grown wilder with time. Now, on a perilous journey through Scotland, two wary lovers must confront both the enemies who will stop at nothing to hunt them down, and the secret legacy that threatens their passion and their lives . . .

  HIS CONQUEST

  Linet Dancort will not be sold. But that’s essentially what her brother intends to do—to trade her like so much chattel to widen his already vast scope of influence. Linet will seize any opportunity to escape her fate—and opportunity comes in the form of a rebel prisoner locked in her brother’s dungeon, predatory and fearsome, and sentenced to hang in the morning.

  Seathan MacGruder, Earl of Grey, is not unused to cheating death. But even this legendary Scottish warrior is surprised when a beautiful Englishwoman creeps to his cell and offers him his freedom. What Linet wants in exchange, though—safe passage to the Highlands—is a steep price to pay. For the only thing more dangerous than the journey through embattled Scotland is the desire that smolders between these two fugitives the first time they touch . . .

  HIS DESTINY

  As one of England’s most capable mercenaries, Emma Astyn can charm an enemy and brandish a knife with unmatched finesse. Assigned to befriend Dubh Duer, an infamous Scottish rebel, she assumes the guise of innocent damsel Christina Moffat to intercept the writ he’s carrying to a traitorous bishop. But as she gains the dark hero’s confidence and realizes they share a tattered past, compassion—and passion—distract her from the task at hand . . .

  His legendary slaying of English knights has won him the name Dubh Duer, but Sir Patrik Cleary MacGruder is driven by duty and honor, not heroics. Rescuing Christina from the clutches of four such knights is a matter of obligation for the Scot. But there’s something alluring about her fiery spirit, even if he has misgivings about her tragic history. Together, they’ll endure a perilous journey of love and betrayal, and a harrowing fight for their lives . . .

  HIS SEDUCTION

  Lady Rois Drummond is fiercely devoted to her widowed father, the respected Scottish Earl of Brom. So when she believes he is about to be exposed as a traitor to England, she must think quickly. Desperate, Rois makes a shocking claim against the suspected accuser, Sir Griffin Westcott. But her impetuous lie leaves her in an outrageous circumstance: hastily married to the enemy. Yet Griffin is far from the man Rois thinks he is—and much closer to the man of her dreams . . .

  Griffin may be an Englishman, but in truth he leads a clandestine life as a spy for Scotland. Refusing to endanger any woman, he has endured the loneliness of his mission. But Rois’s absurd charge has suddenly changed all that. Now, with his cover in jeopardy, Griffin must find a way to keep his secret while keeping his distance from his spirited and tempting new wife—a task that proves more difficult than he ever imagined . . .

  HIS ENCHANTMENT

  Lady Catarine MacLaren is a fairy princess, duty-bound to eschew the human world. But the line between the two realms is beginning to blur. English knights have launched an assault on the MacLarens, just as the families of Comyn have captured the Scottish king and queen. Now, Catarine is torn between loyalty to her people and helping the handsome, rust-haired Lord Trálin rescue the Scottish king . . .

  As guard to King Alexander, Lord Trálin MacGruder will stop at nothing to defend the Scottish crown against the Comyns. And he finds a sympathetic, and gorgeous, ally in the enigmatic Princess Catarine. As they plot to rescue the kidnapped king and queen, Trálin and Catarine will discover a love made all but impossible by her obligations to the Otherworld. But a passion this extraordinary may be worth the irreversible sacrifices it demands . . .

  About the Author

  A retired Navy Chief, AGC (AW), Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense. Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, appeared at Lady Jane’s Salon NYC, in Woman’s Day, on Texoma Living! Magazine, USA Today’s romance blog, “Happily Ever After,” and MSN.com.

  After retiring from the navy, Diana dove into her passion—writing romance novels. With thirty-four moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world. In August 2012, she released her story in the anthology, Born to Bite, with Hannah Howell and Erica Ridley. Diana looks forward to the years ahead of writing and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.

  Diana Cosby, International Bestselling Author

  www.dianacosby.com

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  LYRICAL PRESS BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

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  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2015 by Diana Cosby

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  Lyrical and the L logo are trademarks of Kensington Publishing Corp.

  First Electronic Edition: December 2015

  eISBN-13: 978-1-60183-311-2

  eISBN-10: 1-60183-311-3

  ISBN: 978-1-6018-3311-2