Welsh Marches (border areas between Wales and England), 1214
Coming from an unusual past, Lord Nicholas Talbot could not refuse when King John gave him an assignment, after he had failed to secure l’Eau Clair (The Hidden Heart), he was even more at the Kings disposal. Off on another of the Kings whims, Nicholas found Lady Catrin uerch Dafydd had been set upon by a band of thieves, her guardians and herself left to die on the side of the road. Stepping in to help, Nicholas was left to die also but they didn’t. Nicholas gained enough of his senses to get Catrin, her dog Idris and himself away. Alone, Nicholas found the strength to tend to all of their wounds and to dig deeper into why she had always affected him the way she did. Her sharp tongue had to be hiding something. The days they spent together had affected Catrin also, her resolve to never let a man have control or be close to her faltered and she began to trust Nicholas, the first person she had ever told about her own painful past.

Both of these characters harbor a past that they have kept secret for about four years, the interaction between them is at first dominated by those secrets, then as the trust builds, some of the walls come down. A story about the emotions that are caused by past pains leads to a very touching and intimate confrontation. The emotional pain that is felt so many times is so real, the abuse that Catrin endured is very harsh (physically and sexually) and descriptive. The characters are so wonderful, continuing this story from its beginning (in The Hidden Heart) and rejoining Gillian and Rannulf as they continue their love, and once again seeing Ian and learning more about him. This continuing story (a 7 book series) is such fun to read in order….. This was not the 2nd book written but it is the 2nd in a chronological order and it seems in story line order as well. This is an older Harlequin Historical book (1997), I have dug it, as well as the rest of the series out to re-read. ( )