Stolen Brides
Four Beauty-and-the-Beast Medieval Romances
Claire Delacroix
Deborah A. Cooke
Stolen Brides
Four Beauty-and-the-Beast Medieval Romances
by Claire Delacroix
Cover by Dar Albert
The Rose Red Bride Copyright © 2005, 2011 Claire Delacroix, Inc.
Pearl Beyond Price Copyright ©
The Warrior Copyright ©
The Beauty Copyright
All Rights Reserved.
Without limiting the rights under copyright preserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright holder and the publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
Stolen Brides
The Rose Red Bride
The Jewels of Kinfairlie
Dear Reader
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
An Excerpt from The Snow White Bride
Pearl Beyond Price
Dear Reader
“May you live in interesting times.”
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
Unicorn Bride
The Warrior
The Rogues of Ravensmuir
Dear Reader
Prologue
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII
XIII
XIV
Epilogue
An Excerpt from The Beauty Bride
The Beauty
The Bride Quest
Dear Reader
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
An Excerpt from The Temptress
The Wolf & the Witch
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About the Author
More Books by Claire Delacroix
Stolen Brides
Four Beauty-and-the-Beast Medieval Romances
Don't miss this themed boxed set of four Beauty-and-the-Beast medieval romances, available for a limited time! Stolen Brides includes four full-length novels: The Rose Red Bride, Pearl Beyond Price, The Warrior, and The Beauty.
In The Rose Red Bride, book two of the Jewels of Kinfairlie trilogy of medieval Scottish romances, Vivienne's night with her destined love is as magical as the tales foretell, but at dawn, he takes her captive. Erik is bent on vengeance but Vivienne quickly sees his true valor and resolves to help restore his stolen legacy herself. Will she lose her heart in the bargain?
“Claire Delacroix is a shining star of the romance genre. Cleverly original, emotional and fast-paced, full of twists and turns, her books will sweep you right off your feet!”—Julianne Maclean, bestselling author, on The Rose Red Bride
In Pearl Beyond Price, Kira is snatched away from her home by a grim warrior she cannot understand. When he defends her, she realizes that actions speak louder than words; when Thierry is dispatched on mission that he is not expected to survive, only Kira's knowledge can ensure his success and give them both the chance of a future. Can Kira dare to hope that the valiant warrior who has claimed her love will share that future with her?
"Another dazzling Delacroix delicacy!" —Affaire de Coeur on Pearl Beyond Price
In The Warrior, book three of the Rogues of Ravensmuir trilogy, the unwed and unwanted Aileen is abducted by a dangerous knight and compelled to wed him in secrecy. But when her dreams reveal truths that the Hawk has never shared and her curiosity takes her where she should not go, he fears that his beguiling new bride may be his doom. Can Aileen overcome her husband's suspicions to win his love?
“Delacroix’s satisfying tale leaves the reader hungry for the next offering.”—Booklist on The Warrior
“The Warrior is one more gem in the crown of this queen of medieval romance.”—Rendezvous
In The Beauty, book five of the Bride Quest series of medieval romances, Jacqueline is seized on her way to a convent by a wounded knight seeking vengeance, but Alasdair has mistaken her for the daughter of his enemy. When Jacqueline discovers that her captor has returned from crusade only to find his inheritance stolen, she knows that she must help this man of honor regain what is rightfully his own. Will healing his heart cost her own?
“Four stars! A tale to warm a winter’s night.”—Romantic Times on The Beauty
In these Beauty-and-the-Beast romances, four wounded warriors are healed by the bold beauty of a bride they take captive—only to lose their shielded hearts to the maiden who believes in their honor. Can each persuade his stolen bride to become his willing partner—body, heart and soul?
The Rose Red Bride
The Jewels of Kinfairlie #2
More cherished than gold are the Jewels of Kinfairlie, and only the worthiest may fight for their love…The Laird of Kinfairlie has unmarried sisters, each a gem in her own right. And he has no choice but to see them all wed in haste.
Like a heroine in an ancient tale, Vivienne waited in the highest chamber of Kinfairlie’s tower for her fated lover. In the darkness he came for her, cloaked and hooded so that she would not see his face. He loved her sweetly, thoroughly…and Vivienne knew she had met her destiny.
But in the morning light, her dream is shattered. Erik Sinclair of Blackleith is no romantic hero but a disinherited warrior who arranged her abduction to regain his own legacy. Outraged b
y Erik’s insistence that he needs her solely to beget a son, yet ensnared by the passion he awakens, Vivienne realizes that there is more merit in her taciturn spouse than he would admit. Erik is skeptical of her growing faith in his honor and her desire to recapture his stolen birthright…Little does he suspect that his rare gem of a bride intends to capture his barricaded heart as well.
The Jewels of Kinfairlie
Medieval Scottish Romance
Welcome to Claire Delacroix’s medieval Scottish world of Ravensmuir, Kinfairlie and Inverfyre. There are four series set in this world.
The Jewels of Kinfairlie series of medieval Scottish romances features three of the eight siblings at Kinfairlie.
1. The Beauty Bride
(Madeline and Rhys)
2. The Rose Red Bride
(Vivienne and Erik)
3. The Snow White Bride
(Alexander and Eleanor)
4. The Ballad of Rosamunde
(Rosamunde and Padraig)
You can read about four more of these siblings in The True Love Brides series:
1. The Renegade’s Heart
(Isabella and Murdoch)
2. The Highlander’s Curse
(Annelise and Garrett)
3. The Frost Maiden’s Kiss
(Malcolm and Catriona)
4. The Warrior’s Prize
(Elizabeth and Rafael)
Ross’s story is part of The Brides of Inverfyre series, which features the children of the Hawk of Inverfyre and Aileen:
1. The Mercenary’s Bride
(Mhairi and Quentin)
2. The Runaway Bride
(Aiofe and Ross)
You can read about the previous generation at Ravensmuir, Kinfairlie and Inverfyre in my Rogues of Ravensmuir series:
1. The Rogue
(Merlyn and Isabella)
2. The Scoundrel
(Gawain and Evangeline)
3. The Warrior
(Michael - the Hawk - and Aileen)
There’s a Ravensmuir tab on my website with all of the books set in this world, as well as links to download free family trees.
Sign up for my free guided tour of the world of Ravensmuir and the books set in my fictional medieval Scottish realm!
Each week you'll receive an email featuring the next book set in the world of Ravensmuir. You'll get a peek behind the scenes of that book’s creation, learn more about the historical details and my research for the book, and meet the characters. There will be discounts for you to buy books in my online store, too, and we’ll talk about my inspiration, too.
Sign up today, right here.
Let’s visit medieval Scotland together!
Dear Reader
The Rose Red Bride is the second book in my Jewels of Kinfairlie trilogy, in which Alexander faces the challenge of seeing his sisters wed. Madeline was married in book #1, The Beauty Bride, and now it’s Vivienne’s turn—the trick is that Vivienne is determined to marry for love. She’s a romantic and a dreamer, our Vivienne, and I always liked how she let her passion drive her choices.
She’s exactly the kind of woman Erik needs, given that he’s been cheated so many times. Vivienne’s faith in him is precisely the balm that heals Erik and makes their Happily Ever After possible. This trilogy continues with the sisters getting even with Alexander in The Snow White Bride.
The story of the siblings continues in my True Love Brides series. These are medieval Scottish romances but have some paranormal elements in them—these members of the family are challenged in their pursuit of their happily-ever-afters because the portal to the realm of Fae is open at Ravensmuir. The Renegade’s Heart is Isabella's story; The Highlander's Curse is Annelise's story; The Frost Maiden's Kiss is Malcolm's story and The Warrior's Prize is Elizabeth's story. All four books are available now. You can download free family trees for Kinfairlie and Inverfyre on my website, right here.
All of the Jewels of Kinfairlie and True Love Brides medieval Scottish romances are also available in audio.
I’m currently writing the Brides of Inverfyre series, which continues the stores of the Lammergeier family at Ravensmuir, Kinfairlie and Inverfyre.
You can sign up for my free guided tour of all the books set in the fictional realm of Ravensmuir. Each week you'll receive an email featuring the next book set in the world of Ravensmuir. You'll get a peek behind the scenes of that book’s creation, learn more about the historical details and my research for the book, and meet the characters. There will be discounts for you to buy books in my online store, too, and we’ll talk about my inspiration, too. Sign up today, right here.
To learn about my new releases, sales and other news, please subscribe to my newsletter: Knights & Rogues.
Until next time, I hope you are well and have plenty of good books to read.
All my best,
Claire
http://delacroix.net
This trilogy is dedicated to my readers, with heartfelt thanks for your loyalty and support.
May you enjoy reading about the Jewels of Kinfairlie as much as I have enjoyed recounting their tales.
Chapter 1
Kinfairlie, on the east coast of Scotland – August 1421
Alexander congratulated himself upon a matter well concluded. Although the marriage of his eldest sister Madeline had not begun auspiciously, his solution had ultimately proven to be a good one. Just as he had predicted, Madeline was wedded and happily so, all the more content for the babe already rounding her belly. Though Alexander had not located Rhys FitzHenry by any conventional means of matchmaking, the man who had bought Madeline’s hand at auction had proven to be an excellent spouse.
All had ended well, and Alexander was inclined to grant himself credit for that happy fact. A man had to find encouragement where he could. There was little else that stood to Alexander’s credit at Kinfairlie and he often felt overwhelmed by the burden of his hereditary holding.
Alexander stared out the window at Kinfairlie’s fields, frowning that they were not more lushly green. The crop was slightly better than his castellan had predicted, but not sufficiently good enough. Though his sister Madeline was wedded, his brother Malcolm was training at Ravensmuir and his other brother Ross was training at Inverfyre, there remained four unwed sisters for whom Alexander was responsible. The castellan had been firm in his counsel that there must be fewer mouths at the board for the winter.
The fields offered a telling reminder. Alexander would still have to see his sister Vivienne, the next eldest after Madeline, married before the snow flew.
Sadly, Vivienne was not proving to be any easier to wed than her elder sister Madeline had been. Vivienne was willing to wed, but she wished to feel affection for her spouse before her nuptials were celebrated. Indeed, she wished to be in love. Alexander was certain they had visited every man in Christendom to no avail. He might well roar if Vivienne met his gaze and gave that minute shake of her head one more time.
Though Alexander would prefer for Vivienne to be happy, August was already upon them. Soon he would be compelled to take matters into his own hands.
Alexander sighed and buried himself in the accounts of the estate, hoping to discover that matters were slightly better than he knew them to be. He did not have sufficient time to become bored with the tedium of checking tallies before a rap sounded upon the wooden portal.
Anthony, Kinfairlie’s elderly castellan, cleared his throat when Alexander did not immediately respond. “A gentleman to see you, my lord. He begs an audience in privacy at your earliest convenience.”
Alexander was intrigued, for guests seldom arrived unbidden at Kinfairlie and even less frequently insisted upon privacy. “Has he a name?”
“Nicholas Sinclair, my lord.” Anthony sniffed as Alexander started in surprise at the familiar name. “I am dubious of his character, my lord. No man of merit whispers his name and hides his face within the shadows of his hood.”
Stolen Brides: Four Beauty-and-the-Beast Medieval Romances Page 1
