Olivia
Davenport’s plan is destined to fail.
She
is going through with it anyway, of course. After all, it is the chance of a
lifetime. The unreasonable rules of others should not stand in her way.
In
her small kingdom of Stewartsland, Olivia trains with the squires and harbors a
secret dream. She longs to become a knight under the command of the
Master-of–Arms, who just happens to be her father. He has indulged her passion
so far, but they both know a simple fact – girls may not attain knighthood. Dismayed
by the constant discouragement of her ambitions, she makes an impetuous decision
to disguise herself as a boy in order to sneak on a mission. The consequences are
not at all what she anticipated.
When her deception is
revealed, she is sent home in disgrace; however, an unexpected turn of events
puts her at the center of a dangerous plot against the King. The ensuing
adventure finds her grappling with mercenaries and outlaws, yet these pale in
comparison to her newly awakened emotions. She finds not only her life at risk,
but also her heart, when the aloof Prince Liam begins to affect her in ways she
never thought possible. In the end, it is her courage and unique spirit which
must guide her through the challenges she encounters both physical and emotional.
EXCERPT:
"I
came to offer the young lady one of my guards as an escort home."
What?
That
is not part of my plan! And besides, my father could not seriously consider
sending me off into the woods with a strange man, royal guard or not. It takes
every ounce of my restraint to not jump up and protest.
"That
is gracious of you, Your Majesty," my father answers. "However, I am
concerned about the propriety of that arrangement. Not," he adds hastily,
"that I would expect anything less than the highest scruples from one of
your men."
Good.
So Father has a grasp on the situation. Sending me back with any strange man
and no female chaperone is entirely inappropriate. And there are no other women
on the trip. Too bad Puck isn't here; my father would trust him with me. Now, they
will all have to work out the only viable option—that I continue on the trip. I
merely sit quietly and wait for them to come to this inevitable conclusion.
"Well,
I certainly understand your feelings. Especially since the young lady in
question is your daughter," King William agrees. "I am sure if I had
a daughter of my own, I would feel much the same way."
They
discuss me as if I am not sitting right here, as if I have no capacity for
thought—or hearing. I am actually quite capable of taking care of myself and
could get home without help from any man, thank you anyway. Not that I will
suggest this as an option, of course.
Time
drags into a prolonged silence. Birds chatter in the trees, the river bubbles
happily by, the men are all packed and ready to go. They stand in a huddled
mass waiting for instructions from their superiors. Come on guys, surely one of
you can figure out the answer. My father must be aware of the only solution, so
why isn't he saying anything? Perhaps he is waiting for the King to suggest it,
so it appears he thought of the idea and can take credit for it.
"If
I may make a suggestion, Sir Jack…" Prince Liam begins.
I
am so happy someone is finally going to state the obvious, I don't even care
that it is coming from his egotistical mouth. But then, he decides to become
the next person to throw a wrench in my plans.
"Why
don't I accompany the young lady home along with one of the guards. I give my
word that everything will be handled with the utmost discretion."
She lives in New Jersey in a house full of boys, including
one over-indulged cat. When she is not running around with her family or
writing, she can be found curled up with a good book and said cat. It is her
belief that a good book, a loyal pet and anything made of chocolate can
brighten just about any day.
You can visit her online at: www.janemcgarrybooks.com .
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