The charming Dionysia de Beaumais conceals more than her face behind a scarf. Despite her pleas for mercy, she is betrothed to a man with whom she shared pleasant conversation at court, and she dreads the inevitable disclosure of a painful past and her most intimate secret. But the giant knight is not what he appears, and he
wins her heart. When an old enemy resurfaces, threatening her newfound happiness, Dionysia risks everything to save Aristide.
Reconciled to an arranged marriage, Nautionnier Knight Aristide de Laurentiis takes matters into his own hands and expresses interest in a mysterious but modest lady blessed with sharp intellect and wit, and His Majesty obliges the one-time Templar. When Aristide discovers the cruel truth his gentle wife hides behind her veil, his insatiable lust for revenge threatens to destroy them. Can love conquer evil and heal old wounds?
Marriage manifested a lethal trap for the unsuspecting soul. Forever bound to a woman, when the Templar Code demanded chastity, an honorable Nautionnier Knight dangled on the precipice of damnation until he passed into the not-so-glorious hereafter, given his disobedience of the tenets that defined his existence. It was for that reason Aristide de Laurentiis studied his brother with inexpressible sympathy, on Arucard’s wedding day, and focused his attention on something important.
His empty belly.
In the massive great hall at Westminster Palace, beneath the most opulent hammerbeam roof Aristide had ever seen, he lingered near the food table, perused the vast array of tempting items, and filled his plate with savory selections, including an impressive helping of lampreys with hot sauce. At one corner of the sweetmeats collection, he snared a puffed pastry in the shape of a lion.
“I believe that is intended as a decoration, great knight.” A soft, melodic voice offered wise counsel, amid the elegantly garbed nobles, and he quickly restored the item to its place and searched for the benevolent soul. In a dark corner, he narrowed his stare and spied a veiled creature. “Hello.”
“My lady.” In deference, he dipped his chin. “Thank you, for sparing me a measure of embarrassment, and I am in your debt. It has been a long time since I mingled with such estimable company.” Then he snickered. “Wherefore do you shelter alone in darkness, when the other ladies vie for husbands?”
“Because I am a woman, it must follow that I am in want of a spouse?” She snorted. “By your logic, I have chosen the most opportune position, near the food, if your portions offer an indication of your inclinations. Or am I to conclude that brawn does not equate brains, my lord, and you are a wasteful sort?” A hint of amusement colored her tone, thus he took no offense. “As you evidence plenty of the former but little of the latter, in our brief discussion.”
“Indeed?” When he rounded the display, she shrank further into the shadows. “You should be careful how you speak, as thither are those who might take insult to your assertions and seek retribution, in the form of a sound beating of your bottom.”
“Would you visit violence upon a woman half your size?” A subtle tremor in her reply indicated he frightened her. “I apologize, as I meant no affront, my lord. But you seemed so enamored of the fare that I could not resist teasing you. Pray, forgive me.”
“Come hither, into the light.” Intrigued by the fascinating creature, Aristide grasped her wrist and pulled her into the soft glow of a wall sconce. “What is your name?”
“I am Lady Dionysia, daughter of Lord Goncourt.”
Author Info:
Bestselling author Barbara Devlin was born a storyteller. A Texan, through and through, Barbara hasn’t been without a book in her possession since she was in kindergarten. She wrote her first short story, a really cheesy murder-mystery, in high school, but it was a Christmas gift, a lovely little diary with a bronze lock, given to her in the fifth grade that truly inspired her love of writing.
After completing part of her undergraduate studies at the University of London, where she developed a love of all things British, Barbara returned home and began a career in banking. But the late 80s weren’t too promising for the financial industry, and every bank that hired Barbara soon folded. So she searched for a stable occupation, and the local police department offered the answer to her prayers.
Initially, Barbara wasn’t too sure about her new career in law enforcement, but she soon came to love being a police officer. And then one uncharacteristically cold and icy day in December 1998, Barbara was struck by a car and pinned against a guardrail while working an accident on a major highway. Permanently disabled, she retired from the police department and devoted her time and energy to physical therapy.
Once Barbara got back on her feet, she focused on a new career in academia. She earned an MA in English and continued a course of study for a Doctorate in Literature and Rhetoric. She happily considered herself an exceedingly eccentric English professor, until success in Indie publishing lured her into writing, full-time, featuring her fictional knighthood, the Brethren of the Coast.
