As a member of the Queen's Angels-an elite trio of secret agents, masquerading as ladies-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth Bruce-Melisandre Lamond has a most useful skill: Seduction. Mayhap 'tis her ability to understand others' desires, or mayhap a result of the hidden trauma she's never shared; whatever the root, Mellie has become skilled in the art of love, and knows all the right ways to get a man to spill all his...secrets. After an assassination attempt on the Queen, all evidence points to the Frasers of Lovat, surely under orders from their new laird, the deceptively handsome Lachlan Fraser. But even Mellie is surprised when the Queen announces her betrothal to the traitor, wondering how far her loyalty to the Crown really extends. Can she tempt Lachlan into revealing his treasonous plans, before she's forced to actually marry the man? After the Scottish War for Independence, all Lachlan Fraser wants for his clan is peace. He's happy working with his hands, building a strong future for his family and his beloved daughter. But duty calls him to Scone, where he's surprised to learn of his betrothal to one of the Queen's ladies...the very knife-wielding wench who'd so recently saved him from a cutpurse's attack!He'll marry her, aye, but Lachlan vows to uncover Lady Melisandre's enigmas first! Because once he gets her home, and sees the way she effortlessly wins over his daughter and the rest of the Frasers, he begins to suspect she's not really the cold and haughty lady she's pretending to be. Can this mis-matched betrothed pair learn each other's secrets before the assassin strikes again?
As a member of the Queen's Angels-an elite trio of secret agents, masquerading as ladies-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth Bruce-Melisandre Lamond has a most useful skill: Seduction. Mayhap 'tis her ability to understand others' desires, or mayhap a result of the hidden trauma she's never shared; whatever the root, Mellie has become skilled in the art of love, and knows all the right ways to get a man to spill all his...secrets. After an assassination attempt on the Queen, all evidence points to the Frasers of Lovat, surely under orders from their new laird, the deceptively handsome Lachlan Fraser. But even Mellie is surprised when the Queen announces her betrothal to the traitor, wondering how far her loyalty to the Crown really extends. Can she tempt Lachlan into revealing his treasonous plans, before she's forced to actually marry the man? After the Scottish War for Independence, all Lachlan Fraser wants for his clan is peace. He's happy working with his hands, building a strong future for his family and his beloved daughter. But duty calls him to Scone, where he's surprised to learn of his betrothal to one of the Queen's ladies...the very knife-wielding wench who'd so recently saved him from a cutpurse's attack!He'll marry her, aye, but Lachlan vows to uncover Lady Melisandre's enigmas first! Because once he gets her home, and sees the way she effortlessly wins over his daughter and the rest of the Frasers, he begins to suspect she's not really the cold and haughty lady she's pretending to be. Can this mis-matched betrothed pair learn each other's secrets before the assassin strikes again?