| Hastings of Trent and Severin of Langthorne are married before as her father, Earl of Oxborough, draws his last. Hastings has just met her husband a few hours prior to the marriage. Severin is marrying Hastings because she is an heiress and he needs her money to restore his own lands. The Earl's only requirement is that Severin add his name to that of Langthorne. He has researched Severin thoroughly and has insisted upon the marriage as a means of protecting Hastings and his own estate.
Hastings and Severin find themselves attracted to each other but are at each other's throats from the beginning. Hastings maid, Alice, and her nurse join forces to help Hastings make life more enjoyable by giving her advice on how to treat her husband. Severin now has several properties to see to and does just that. At his own keep he finds his mother being sorely mistreated and living in rags and wounds on her feet. As Hastings is a healer and with him she takes control of his mother's welfare. Richard DeLuci had killed his own wife when he heard that Hastings father was dying. He tries to get to her before Severin but is too late as she is wedded and bedded by Severin. He is thought dead after he slips on rabbit bones and hits his head on a rock. He plots to kidnap her and kill Severin to he can have her wealth allowing all to think him dead. Lady Margorie, twice widowed, is chosen by the king to be governess to Deluci's daughter and arrives at Oxborough. Hastings learns that she was once Severin's lover. During her stay 2 attempts are made on Hastings life. Severing, when going over accounts, finds large sums of money taken to a place called Rosehaven, 4 days hard ride from Oxborough. The former Earl had been known to take the bags of coins with him 4 times a year and stay away for several weeks. Severin and Hastings find themselves growing closer and closer as they work thru all the trials that face them as they begin their married life. They find that they must solve several problems including how to possibly cure Severin's mad mother, who is living at Rosehaven, what to do with DeLuci when it is found that he is alive and begins making attempts to kidnap Hastings and how to deal with each other sexually. Also Hastings father was filled with surprises that they discover only after he dies. | ||
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Plot & Themes Time/era of story Action/suspense subplot? Yes Action: Main Male Character Profession/status: Age/status: - 20's-30's Sex makes him Main Female Character Age/status: - a teen Effect of sexing Unusual characteristics: Setting Europe Yes European country: - France Misc setting - castle Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment What % of story is romance related? - 30% How explicit is the sex? - vague references only - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - licking - actual description of sex Focus of story - equally on him and her How much dialog - significantly more dialog than descript How much sexing? - 5-9 sex acts |
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