Dearest Father,

I write in the hope that you will understand and forgive me for refusing to wed the barbaric Scot you’ve chosen for me. Not even loyalty to you, my king and country, is enough to make me willing to sacrifice my person and my honor. You will have to find another way to compel this Baron MacKai, who is one of the rudest men in creation, to cooperate in your plot with King Edward to overthrow the Scottish monarch. By the time you receive this I will be on my way to a convent where my skills as a horse trainer will be appreciated and useful. I grieves me that I will probably never see you or my brothers again in this life.

With all my love,

Jessamyn

Dear Readers,

This missive was found amongst some obscure parchments by an anonymous researcher who currently assists with cataloguing antique manuscripts at Oxford’s Bodleian Library. The research became intrigued by the defiant tone of the message and has tracked down the source using clues from the missive itself. You—indeed much of the ton—will be interested to learn that the author of this note did not as she states in the letter end up in the convent. She did in fact wed Baron Raeb MacKai in the year 1295. How that came about is a story as yet unlearned. Although marriage lines obtained from Scotland prove that the author is a Lady from an English DuG. family of high renown and influence. One cannot but wonder what other secrets might be revealed were the Earl DuG to permit investigation of that distinguished family’s records. Sadly, such permission is unlikely to be given, as the Earl is among the highest of sticklers for propriety. We wait eagerly to discover if he or his relatives might find this revelatory missive a bit embarrassing. Could the family be hiding a taint of rebelliousness amongst its women? That might explain the current peccadillo’s of Lady J DuG. More on her recent adventures in a future issue of the Teatime Tattler.

Blurb for Knight Defender: Sent alone to Scotland to wed a wild scot and serve the needs of her father and her king, Lady Jessamyn plots to escape the marriage and make the life she wants. In Scotland she finds not the wild boorish monster she imagined but a Knight Defender who would claim her heart, if she will only give up her dreams. — Baron Raeb MacKai is done allowing himself and everyone he loves to live in poverty and despair. His betrothal to a wealthy English heiress will solve a decade of problems. He will do everything necessary to defend his home and his country, but can he defend his heart?

About the Author: When not writing, or enjoying her warm sunny home with her spouse of more than four decades Rue Allyn, Rue travels the world and surfs the internet in search of background material and inspiration for her next heart melting romance. She loves to hear from readers, and you may contact her at Rue@RueAllyn.com.  She can’t wait to hear from you.