It was Christmas in Kinfairlie and all was right beneath the sun and the moon. Father Malachy could only pray it would always be so.
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There’s an excerpt from The Mercenary’s Bride after this, which is the first book in the Brides of Inverfyre series. Ross’s story will be part of that series, as will the stories of the cousins at Inverfyre. I hope you enjoy it! There’s also some information about the Jewels of Historical Romance.
All my best
Claire
An Excerpt from The Mercenary’s Bride
The Brides of Inverfyre #1
Robbed of his possessions, wounded and left for dead, Quentin de Montgomerie has lost everything except his love for Mhairi, the daughter of the Hawk of Inverfyre—and he knows who is to blame for his fate. He vows to return to Inverfyre and take his vengeance from the Hawk, but arrives to discover that the fierce maiden in possession of his heart has blossomed into a beauty, and that her kiss has the power to give him hope for the future again. Can Quentin prove himself to the Hawk and win Mhairi—or will she spurn him for being less than once he was?
Excerpt from THE MERCENARY’s BRIDE © 2017 Deborah A. Cooke.
Near Astorga, Spain—May 1432
The air simmered.
The sun was hot enough to burn, even early in the season, and Quentin was so parched that he could not recall the feel of water in his mouth. All the same, he did not rise from the road. He remained where he had been abandoned—beaten, robbed, and bleeding—and watched the carrion birds circle overhead. They were dark against the brilliant blue of the sky. The road was empty in either direction. There was no sound but the wind and the calls of the birds that soon would make a meal of him.
He did not know how many of his bones were broken or how much blood he had shed. Both counts must have been considerable, given how shattered he felt and how many assailants had attacked him. Whether his right eye was merely swollen or more damaged than that, he did not know. His magnificent destrier was gone, along with its trap, his armor, his sword, his money, his food, his water. He literally had the shirt on his back and no more.
He had lost everything, but worse, he had no hope. Quentin did not have it within him to fight any longer. Who would care if he died?
He would never return to England, much less Scotland.
He would never reach Seville.
He would never prove himself to the Hawk of Inverfyre. Anger rose within him at the memory of their final exchange and fury kindled within Quentin. What was his crime? He had loved the Hawk’s daughter, Mhairi, loved her for her ferocity and passion—and her determination to learn the arts of war. He had tutored her, openly at first and then in secret, believing his liege lord was wrong to keep his daughter from the knowledge she yearned to possess.
In truth, Quentin could not deny Mhairi. He would do any deed for her. He had ridden south and spent seven years as a mercenary, earning a fortune so that he could return and request the honor of her hand in marriage.
He rolled to his back and scowled at the birds. It was all lost, and his hope was replaced with anger. He would not even be in Spain without the Hawk’s challenge. He would not be injured. He would not be without the means to earn his way ever again.
He would not have lost Mhairi forever.
The birds cried to their fellows as they dipped lower but Quentin gritted his teeth. He was not dead yet, and as God was his witness, he would see Mhairi one last time.
He had made her a promise that was yet unfulfilled.
And he would have his vengeance upon the Hawk, if it was the last deed he did.
The Mercenary’s Bride
#1 of the Brides of Inverfyre
Available Now!
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About the Author
Deborah Cooke sold her first book in 1992, a medieval romance called Romance of the Rose published under her pseudonym Claire Delacroix. Since then, she has published over fifty novels in a wide variety of sub-genres, including historical romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, fantasy romance, time-travel romance, women’s fiction, paranormal young adult and fantasy with romantic elements. She has published under the names Claire Delacroix, Claire Cross and Deborah Cooke. The Beauty, part of her successful Bride Quest series of historical romances, was her first title to land on the New York Times List of Bestselling Books. Her books routinely appear on other bestseller lists and have won numerous awards. In 2009, she was the writer-in-residence at the Toronto Public Library, the first time the library has hosted a residency focused on the romance genre. In 2012, she was honored to receive the Romance Writers of America’s Mentor of the Year Award.
Currently, she writes contemporary romances and paranormal romances under the name Deborah Cooke. She also writes medieval romances as Claire Delacroix. Deborah lives in Canada with her husband and family, as well as far too many unfinished knitting projects.
Visit Deborah’s Website and Blog
Visit Claire’s Website and Blog
More Books by Claire Delacroix
Harlequin Historicals
UNICORN BRIDE
PEARL BEYOND PRICE
Rogues & Angels
ONE KNIGHT ENCHANTED
ONE KNIGHT’S RETURN
Time Travel Romances
ONCE UPON A KISS
THE LAST HIGHLANDER
THE MOONSTONE
LOVE POTION #9
The Bride Quest
THE PRINCESS
THE DAMSEL
THE HEIRESS
THE COUNTESS
THE BEAUTY
THE TEMPTRESS
The Rogues of Ravensmuir
THE ROGUE
THE SCOUNDREL
THE WARRIOR
The Jewels of Kinfairlie
THE BEAUTY BRIDE
THE ROSE RED BRIDE
THE SNOW WHITE BRIDE
The Ballad of Rosamunde
The True Love Brides
THE RENEGADE’S HEART
THE HIGHLANDER’S CURSE
THE FROST MAIDEN’S KISS
THE WARRIOR’S PRIZE
The Brides of Inverfyre
THE MERCENARY’S BRIDE
THE RUNAWAY BRIDE
The Champions of St. Euphemia
THE CRUSADER’S BRIDE
THE CRUSADER’S HEART
THE CRUSADER’S KISS
THE CRUSADER’S VOW
THE CRUSADER’S HANDFAST
The Brides of North Barrows
Something Wicked This Way Comes
A Duke By A
ny Other Name
Short Stories and Novellas
BEGUILED
An Elegy for Melusine
To learn more about Deborah’s contemporary and paranormal romances,
please visit
DeborahCooke.com
All's Fair in Love and War: Four Enemies-to-Lovers Medieval Romances Page 136