The Maiden and the Unicorn

Book excerpt: For Margery, the choice between 'spy' or 'wife', is really no choice at all. When King Edward IV offers her an irresistible challenge – to act as his secret courier to France – Margery is more than willing to risk her life for the King and escape marriage to Sir Richard Huddleston, the man who kidnapped her to further his political career. Yet upon arriving in France, Margery is shocked to discover that Richard is the man her powerful protector, Warwick the Kingmaker, has decreed she will marry. As Warwick forms a despicable alliance with King Edward's foes, Margery finds herself ensnared in a vicious web of political intrigue. Torn between loyalty to Edward and a dangerous attraction to her enigmatic, traitor husband, Margery's mission becomes a race against time to outwit her enemies and, above all, Richard. This unforgettable tale of power, passion, and intrigue is perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Diana Gabaldon and Alison Weir. "A wonderfully interwoven tapestry of a book" – Bestselling novelist Barbara Erskine Winner of the Romance Writers of America Rita Award for Best First Novel 2000 and the Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year Award in 1999.