by Shari Anton
But his thoughts and love were only for Nicole, the mostly convent-raised hoyden to whom, in Rhodri’s opinion, no other woman could compare.
They’d done well in the church. His harp did hold magic, his music allowing Nicole to, at long last, help her brother find his peace. While Rhodri took pride in the accomplishment, he was even prouder of Nicole. Watching her contend with her belligerent brother had shredded his heart. Hearing her confession of love had made him whole again.
Content to allow Nicole her reunion with her sisters without his interference, Rhodri slipped the sword under his belt and, armed only with his harp, descended the stairs to where Alberic and Darian stood and also fondly, patiently watched the sisters celebrate their reunion.
Alberic readily accepted Rhodri’s outstretched hand.
“’Twas good of you to bring her home,” Alberic said. “I thank you for the service you gave her, in the church.”
He shouldn’t have been surprised Nicole had immediately explained to Alberic, during their embrace, how she could now greet him without pain.
“Believe me, Alberic, I could do no less. May I assume both Gwendolyn and the new babe are doing well?”
A proud grin lit his face. “Babes. A boy and a girl. A surprise to us all. And, aye, all are healthy.”
“My felicitations, my lord, and my thanks for your support against the earl.”
“I had little choice,” he said without a hint of ire.
“You could have begged favor for Nicole and allowed the earl to have me.”
“Nicole would have fought to save you, and one does not lightly dismiss the desires of a Pendragon princess.”
Darian chuckled. “Nay, one does not. They are, all three, strong-minded women.”
Strong-minded, perhaps, but also loving and fiercely loyal to those they loved. So, too, were their husbands. Why Alberic and Darian had allowed Nicole to leave the inn in the company of a man they didn’t know, Rhodri had never quite understood.
“At the inn, you allowed Nicole to accompany me to Wales. I never came to any conclusions as to why.”
Darian waved a dismissive hand. “When you told us that Nicole had spoken to you of her gift, I realized destiny had already taken a hand. She would not have revealed her abilities, particularly with regard to William, if she did not already love and trust you. She had already chosen you, whether she knew it at the time or not. ’Twas the same with her sisters and us.”
“Your wives, they have powers similar to Nicole’s?”
Alberic answered. “Somewhat, but that is a tale for later, when we are all together, with no one else to hear. ’Twill require a stretch of belief on your part, and an oath to tell no other.”
“You may have that oath now.”
“Then we welcome you as our brother.” Alberic lightly cuffed Rhodri’s shoulder. “What say we celebrate the day’s success with a tankard of ale?”
Oh, that sounded grand, but he had one more thing to do before he could celebrate.
“Not as yet. I made a promise to Nicole I should like to keep now. While I assure you she is truly wedded and bedded, she worries that there were no witnesses to our vows. As long as her family is all gathered and a priest at hand, I should like to lay her concern to rest.”
Alberic glanced over his shoulder. “Father Paul, your services are required. Rhys, perhaps you can take charge of Rhodri’s harp for the nonce. There, I have done my part. All that remains for you to do is tear Nicole away from her sisters.”
“Oh, I believe this is one time she will cooperate.”
The comment elicited laughter from both men he could now call brother. He’d married Nicole and gained a family, a blessing he hadn’t foreseen.
He handed his harp over to the tall, lank, gray-haired Rhys, Camelen’s bard, whom Nicole had mentioned a time or two.
Rhys plucked a string and smiled at the harp’s voice. “Do you mind if I play?”
“Not at all.”
His hands now free, Rhodri strode over to the women and placed his hands on Nicole’s shoulders. “My ladies, if you would be so gracious, I should like to borrow Nicole for a moment.”
Nicole turned around to gaze up at him. “Why for?”
“We now have witnesses.”
She glanced around at the crowd, her family, and at Father Paul awaiting them at the top of the church’s stairs.
Beaming, Nicole placed her hand in his. “You can write the song of our journey now. This is a fitting ending to our adventure, do you not think?”
“Ah, but a new adventure begins. I love you, Nicole de Leon. I should have told you long before today. I wish—”
She put a fingertip to his lips. “Better today than never, and I think today simply perfect. I love you, too, Rhodri ap Dafydd. What say we declare that love before all and sundry?”
Without a qualm, Rhodri cooperated.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SHARI ANTON’s secretarial career ended when she took a creative writing class and found she possessed some talent for writing fiction. The author of several highly acclaimed historical novels, she now works in her home office, where she can take unlimited coffee breaks. Shari and her husband live in southeastern Wisconsin, where they have two grown children and do their best to spoil their two adorable little grandsons. You can write to her at P.O. Box 510611, New Berlin, WI 53151-0611, or visit her Web site at www.sharianton.com.
THE DISH
Where authors give you the inside scoop!
From the desk of Larissa Ione
Dear Reader,
Growing up, I wanted to be both an author and a doctor. Too bad I suffered from an unfortunate tendency to pass out at the sight of blood. For some reason, doctors fainting in emergency situations is frowned upon. Go figure.
So I concentrated on my first love, writing, but I never got over my fascination with emergency medicine. A few years ago, I swallowed my squeamishness and earned an Emergency Medical Technician certification in order to help me accurately portray the medical heroes and heroines I love so much.
Something else I love is the paranormal, so when I decided to follow my heart and write dark supernatural tales, I still couldn’t let go of those hot doctors and paramedics. I wanted them to play a large role in my paranormal novels, but how? How could I combine medicine and the paranormal?
The answer came to me while watching an episode of Angel, when my favorite broody vamp got hurt. My poor baby! He needed medical attention, stat. But really, where could demons, vampires, and werewolves go for help?
To a demon ER, of course!
PLEASURE UNBOUND (on sale now), the first in a series of novels set in and around an underworld hospital, is the result of both my interests and my addiction to TV shows such as ER, Grey’s Anatomy, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and okay, maybe my fangirl crushes on George Clooney, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsters, and Joss Whedon).
In PLEASURE UNBOUND, you’ll meet Tayla, a tough, street-savvy demon slayer who lands in a demon hospital under the care of a sexy incubus surgeon named Eidolon. When a sinister plot forces them to work together in order to learn the truth behind a rash of killings that threatens both demons and slayers, Tayla and Eidolon find that the biggest danger of all is to their hearts.
I hope your visit to Underworld General proves to be the most pleasant trip to a hospital you’ve ever experienced. Happy reading!
Sincerely,
www.LarissaIone.com
From the desk of Wendy Markham
Dear Reader,
When I wrote THE NINE MONTH PLAN five years ago, I never dreamed the book would kick off a series. Then I began hearing from readers who could relate to the loud, loving, laughing Chickalini family and wanted to know whether Nina’s siblings would find their own happy endings.
In my latest novel, THAT’S AMORE (on sale now), Ralphie—now a newly orphaned adult in the wake of his father’s passing—must come to terms with a broken engagement, the upcoming sale of the only home he’s ever k
nown, and an unwanted attraction to a woman who’s all wrong for him. What he doesn’t know is that Daria Marshall’s presence in his life may not be entirely accidental. Daria can see dead people—including a sad-eyed spirit who seems to have led her right to the Chickalini doorstep.
Writing this latest installment was like coming home . . . and not just because I’m so familiar with these characters and their cozy, more-shabby-than-chic Queens rowhouse. The thing is, now that I’m a married mom living in the New York City suburbs, I frequently find myself nostalgic for my own small-town youth almost five hundred miles away—and for the loving extended family that is never far from my thoughts.
Simply put, writing about the Chickalini family brings me back home again.
Raised in the heart of western New York’s snow-belt, I had parents who were married at twenty-one, had me at twenty-two, and strolled hand in hand through four-plus decades of marriage. Our sprawling Italian/Sicilian family—dozens of aunts, uncles, and cousins, plus all four grandparents—lived within a few treelined blocks of our Queen Anne Victorian. Family and friends dropped in at all hours and were greeted with coffee and cookies or wine and cheese. We celebrated milestones at Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church and holidays around noisy, crowded dining room tables laden with food.
There were times when all that togetherness got on my nerves, as it does on Ralphie’s. But like Ralphie, Nina, and their siblings, I learned the hard way about the importance of family, and tradition, and holding on—and letting go.
My beautiful young mom was tragically taken from us, much too soon, a few years back. Gone, too, are two of my grandpas, a grandma, cousins, and countless old friends. But they all live on in my heart, and every now and then, they are captured in a fictional glimmer right here, in the pages of the Chickalini family books.
Cent’anni!
www.wendymarkham.com
From the desk of Shari Anton
Dear Reader,
There’s a moment during the writing of a book when an author knows she’s telling the story she’s supposed to tell. For some authors, this sublime moment of serendipity occurs in the initial stages of plotting. For me, these pleasant, priceless discoveries tend to happen when I’m writing the first draft of my books.
Each time that moment happens, I’m relieved at my good fortune and thankful for a cooperative muse who always seems to know I’m headed in the right direction even when I’m doubtful.
Such a moment happened while I wrote MAGIC IN HIS KISS (on sale now). I knew all along that Rhodri ap Dafydd, the hero of my story, was a talented Welsh bard. But I didn’t realize the importance and significance of his music until I wrote the scene where Rhodri is composing a new song on his harp. I knew then what course his life was meant to take, and why he was the perfect hero for Nicole de Leon.
Of course, at that point in the story, Rhodri doesn’t realize how important his music will be to Nicole’s life work, and Nicole has no idea that because of the magic in his music Rhodri is destined to be her life’s partner. At that point in the story, they aren’t even sure they like each other! But, of course, they are bound together by the music, by destiny, and by love.
It’s always fun to watch a story unfold. An author sometimes blindly follows the lives of the characters to discover where they’re going and why, just as a reader keeps turning the pages of a good story to learn what happens next. The experience for both of us can be (dare I say it) magical!
Enjoy!
www.sharianton.com
Dear Reader,
While writing the Magic trilogy, I learned a lot about psychic powers and had a great time imagining how, if one had such powers, they would affect a person’s everyday life.
I can’t say that I, personally, would like to have the power to recall King Arthur from the dead like Gwendolyn in MIDNIGHT MAGIC, to look into water and see visions like Emma in TWILIGHT MAGIC, or be able to hear the dead like Nicole in MAGIC IN HIS KISS. However, I’m glad these three sisters didn’t mind my inflicting them with those powers so I could vicariously explore the possibilities!
I hope you enjoyed their stories and my brief dip into the world of the paranormal.
Happy Reading,
ALSO BY SHARI ANTON
Twilight Magic
Midnight Magic
At Her Service
Once a Bride
The Ideal Husband
PRAISE FOR SHARI ANTON AND HER NOVELS
TWILIGHT MAGIC
“Anton adds a generous measure of danger and intrigue—along with a sprinkling of magic—to the second in her de Leon sisters trilogy with her latest expertly crafted, utterly beguiling medieval romance.”
—Booklist
“4 Stars! Anton’s always colorful history and romantic atmosphere entrance us all.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine
“Once you open up the pages of this book, you won’t be able to close them. Twilight Magic is captivating, compelling, and sensual.”
—RomanceReaderAtHeart.com
“Enchanting… a skillfully woven romance that does Ms. Anton’s talent justice… Historical romance aficionados will enjoy this book tremendously!”
—RoundtableReviews.com
“Ms. Anton combines just the right elements—an irresistible hero, feisty heroine, passion, and intrigue.”
—RomRevToday.com
“Grabbed my interest from the beginning… Shari Anton has a knack for reeling readers in with characters who come to life through her pages and transport you into the historical world. I eagerly await her next story.”
—Bookloons.com
MIDNIGHT MAGIC
“If you like your historical romances with a touch of magic, this is the holiday escape for you!”
—RomanceReaderAtHeart.com
“Ms. Anton weaves mystical facts, charming characters, and a love story that will make readers weep.”
—MyShelf.com
“The perfect read for those who enjoy their historical romances with a touch of fantasy.”
—BookLoons.com
“Just the right amount of passion, mysticism, and mythology.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine
“Loved the story!”
—RomanceReviewsMag.com
“A fine historical tale that readers will appreciate.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Sexy… touching and magical medieval romance… should please readers of both historical and paranormal romance.”
—FreshFiction.com
AT HER SERVICE
“Anton captures not only the spirit of the Middle Ages but the heart of her characters as well.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine
“Anton handles history with a deft hand, even as she spins a tale that will capture the reader’s heart.”
—Literary Times
“Magnificent… Filled with wonderful characters and plenty of sexual tension.”
—TheRomanceReadersConnection.com
“Ms. Anton creates a strong, sexy hero who holds your attention until the end.”
—Rendezvous
ONCE A BRIDE
“A spellbinding romance, rich in historical backdrop, fiery characters, and sexual tension.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine
Bravo… Ms. Anton has painted a marvelous and witty novel of love.”
—MyShelf.com
“A keeper! This is a delightfully charming novel, extremely well written, with characters who blossom throughout each page.”
—TheRomanceReadersConnection.com
“Anton weaves history into her highly romantic tale with aplomb, crafting a beautiful love story brimming with period atmosphere.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine
“A historical romance for readers to savor.”
—Southern Pines Pilot (NC)
“A lovely, lovely tale… The well-proportioned mix of narrative and dialogue, p
assion and romance, challenge and triumph sets a brisk pace… I’m eagerly looking forward to her next book.”
—RomRevToday.com
Contents
Welcome
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
About the Author
The Dish
Also by Shari Anton
Praise for Shari Anton and Her Novels
Copyright
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2008 by Sharon Antoniewicz
Cover illustration by Alan Ayers, cover typography by David Gatti. Cover copyright © 2008 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Forever Yours
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
www.twitter.com/foreverromance
First e-book edition: July 2008
Forever Yours is an imprint of Grand Central Publishing.
