EXCERPT~
from Chapter One:
Faucon Keep - Normandy, October 15, 1143
Every
autumn, for as long as Marianne of
Faucon could remember, the Comte of
Faucon hosted a grand tournament and
faire. First her father's father had
hosted the event, then her own father.
The task now fell to the current Comte
of Faucon, her brother Rhys. It had been
taking place for so long, that it was an
expected celebration.
The
only difference this year was in the
number of attendees. A devastating
famine swept England, bringing more and
more people to Normandy, France and
other far-flung locations.
An
imposing assembly of troubadours,
jugglers, dancers and musicians came to
entertain the masses gathered while
lining their purses with coin. Knights
and warriors, tired of earnest battle
and seeking to fill their empty coffers
with gold or the spoils of those less
fortunate at combat came to test their
prowess on the tourney field.
Merchants, desperate to profit from the
throng and lighten their load of goods
before winter set in, flocked to the
keep.
It
was a festival of merriment and
necessity attended by many - evident by
the multitude of gaily colored tents
dotting the open area between the forest
and the keep. Brilliant multi-hued
pennants fluttered in the warm autumn
breeze.
Surrounded by more people than she could
count, Marianne could not dispel the
restlessness coiling tight in her belly.
It rested there all day, growing
stronger with the setting sun.
Neither the clang of sword meeting
sword, nor the excited shouts and
laughter of spectators in the stands
broke the unsettling gloom cloaking her
like a dark, suffocating shroud.
An
unhurried stroll amongst the vendors
produced nothing to lighten her mood. No
bright hair ribbons, exotic scents from
the East, nor carefully crafted jewelry
caught her eye. It was truly a sad day
when she could find nothing new to
purchase that would lift her spirits.
Marianne sighed before moving away from
the crowd attending this day's events.
The annual festivities used to send a
thrill through her body. She'd looked
forward to the excitement for months in
advance. Over the last two years, the
thrill had steadily begun to pall.
"Surely you are not leaving so soon?"
An
arm draped across her shoulders slowed
her departure. She knew by his simple
act of lightly caressing her shoulder,
which of her three brothers sought to
prevent her leaving.
Her
eldest brother Rhys would not have taken
the time to approach her. With so many
armed men about, he was far too busy
keeping them in check.
Darius, the youngest brother, would
never think to be so familiar with her.
He'd not lived at Faucon while she was
growing from child to young woman. Their
relationship was more formal than the
one she shared with her middle brother
Gareth.
Marianne lowered her shoulder and
side-stepped Gareth's touch. "Yes. I am.
The day has been long. My head aches and
the noise worsens the pain. Perhaps a
few quiet moments in my chamber will
help lessen the throbbing." The lie was
a small one, surely not of a size worth
an eternity in hell.
He
grasped her wrist and tugged her back to
his side, bringing her escape to a halt.
"It is heartening to discover you have
not lost the ability to fabricate tales
with a straight face."
Marianne smiled up at him. "I learned
from the best, did I not?"
His
eyes widened briefly before his lips
turned up into a crooked, answering
smile. "I suppose you did." He released
her wrist and ran a hand through his
sweat dampened hair. "But maybe it is
time to refrain from following in your
brothers' footsteps. After all, you are
a girl."
"Girl?" Oddly enough, Marianne's temper
sprang to life at his innocent
statement. Her blood ran hot and her
heart quickened its pace in her chest.
She had not been a girl for many years.
It was doubtful if anyone outside of her
family would mistake the roundness of
her hips, or the fullness of her breasts
for a girl.
Gareth raked her from head to toe with a
slow, piercing stare. The sort of
studied perusal a man used when
uncertain of what he saw before him. A
frown creased his forehead. He rubbed
the bridge of his nose, before shaking
his head. "Nay. You are a girl no
longer, are you?" He sounded surprised.
"When did this happen?"
His
sudden realization of the obvious
banished her ire. "Oh, I am fairly
certain it occurred just last week." She
could no more restrain from teasing
Gareth than she could cease breathing.
He
ignored her banter and glanced briefly
toward the lists, obviously eager to
return to the last of the day's action
provided in the tourney ring. With a
resigned sigh, he brought his attention
back to her.
"Why
is it that you are unwed?"
Unrestrained laughter burst from her
lips and worked its way through her
whole body. She wiped the tears from her
eyes, shook her head, then gesturing
toward the men waiting their turn to
joust, she asked, "And who among those
gathered would Comte Faucon find
suitable? Which man would be worthy of
my hand in marriage?"
"What are you saying?"
"Simple, my dear brother, of late I have
encouraged more than one eager man to
seek Rhys's approval, to no avail."
"Were his reasons not sound?"
"To
him perhaps. But to me they seemed
minor." Marianne recited them, "Too old,
or not old enough. Not wealthy enough,
or strong enough. Too arrogant, or not
arrogant enough. One was even deemed not
intelligent enough to become related by
marriage to the great Faucon family."
Gareth stared at her. "Why did you never
complain until now?"
"I
never felt that anything was missing in
my life until now."
"What do you wish me to do?"
Marianne shrugged. "Perhaps you could
talk to our brother, the Comte, and
convince him that my heart, too, is
deserving of love."
"It
may not help, but I promise to try."
Certain Gareth would indeed talk to
Rhys, she resumed her escape of the
crowd. The short jaunt to the keep was
uneventful in an annoying sort of way.
She would give anything if some brutish
lout would think enough of her to take
advantage of the fact she walked alone.
No
maid accompanied her. When she'd left
the keep earlier, they'd been too busy
attending to the numerous honored
guests. A blessing as far as she was
concerned. It was rather enjoyable to
have the freedom of movement without her
every step being watched.
Although, if Rhys or his wife Lyonesse
discovered her outside the keep without
a maid or guard in attendance,
Marianne's ears would burn from their
words of censure.
Both
of them acted as if she was some great
prize who needed to be protected at all
costs. It might make sense to her if she
was of royal blood, but she wasn't. The
only thing of value, besides the land
from her mother's family, was her
virginity. And at the moment she'd give
that useless treasure away to anyone
bold enough to ask for the honor.
Marianne's face heated at her wicked
thought. Her family would be horrified,
worse they'd be ashamed to know what
vileness ran rampant in her mind of
late. Was it normal to have these
unexplained urges, these frustrating
feelings of need that kept her awake at
night and surly most of the day?
Or,
was this unquenchable yearning the
Lord's retribution for carrying the name
Marianne? Nay. Surely, she could not be
held responsible for her sire's anger at
the Church. An anger so great that he
burdened his only daughter with a
bastardized version of the Blessed
Virgin's name. It was no wonder the
Church had excommunicated him.
Thankfully, that dire decree had not
been extended to the entire family.
While her sire might reside in the
devil's realm for an eternity, at least
she and her brothers still had a chance
for salvation.
That
is, if she could find a way to rid
herself of the uneasiness threatening to
rule her.
Is
this why most girls were married at a
young age? So that by the time they
started having this odd, irritating
bodily awareness, they'd already be
safely ensconce in their husband's bed?
Now
her head truly did pound. All of this
thinking, wondering and longing for
something she'd yet to experience would
soon make her sense take leave. As she
drew closer to the keep, she mingled
with a group of people. If anyone from
her family saw her entering Faucon, she
could then say she'd not been out alone.
Before heading to her pallet for an
early night, Marianne detoured toward
the family's private sitting area. Maybe
a brief visit with her nephews would
take her worries off things she could
not change.
"Who
do you think Marianne should be given
to?" Lyonesse's voice drifted out of the
chamber.
Marianne came to a rocking halt just
outside the archway. She ducked out of
sight and pressed tightly against the
wall, listening to her
sisters-by-marriage discuss her future.
"I
thought Lord Markam's son looked
promising." Rhian, Gareth's wife
offered.
Marianne bit the inside of her mouth to
keep from snorting aloud. Markam's son?
Only over her dead body would they
convince her to wed that pompous ass.
"Markam?" Rhys's wife laughed before
thankfully dousing any continued
discussion of that suggestion. "Lord
Markam's son has not enough gold,
strength, or wit to protect his own
pretty face let alone Marianne's."
"It
is well past time for her to marry.
Soon, she will be too old for any to
consider. Marianne has seventeen years
on her and is not getting any younger.
She must wed with haste."
Oh,
bless you for that observation. Marianne
wanted nothing more than to wrap her
hands around Marguerite's neck and
squeeze tightly. How Darius could have
married this woman was completely beyond
her comprehension.
"Rhys is well aware of his sister's
age." Marianne cringed at Lyonesse's
sharp tone. When the Lady of Faucon
spoke in that manner, most people gave
her a wide berth. "He is doing his best
to find someone suitable."
"Yes, well, Rhys needs to quicken his
search before some knave recognizes the
unquenched lust sparking from those eyes
of her." Marguerite's observation
brought the heat of embarrassment back
to Marianne's cheeks.
"Ah,
you've noticed that, too? Then perhaps
to hasten the matter along, maybe the
three of us should offer to assist him."
Rhian's calming tone eased some of the
tension from Marianne's neck and
shoulders. "After all, we are more able
to know what would make another woman
content."
Content? Marianne shook her head as the
tension returned. She wished not to be
content. Not wanting to be seen, or
heard, she backed silently away from the
chamber. Not one of them would have
settled for being content, why did they
assume she would?
She
was no different, she wanted the same
things they had. There was little
privacy to be had in a keep, even one as
large as Faucon. Marianne knew what
these women shared with their husbands.
She'd heard the throaty laugher of the
chase, the breathless sighs of pleasure
and the lingering moans of fulfillment.
She
needed that, too. She craved desire, a
fierce all consuming passion that would
drive her mad, while at the same time
leave her completely fulfilled.
But
never content.
Dear
Lord, please, never let her live in so
boring a manner as content. She'd sooner
die.
REVIEWS:
Denise Lynn is quite a story-teller with
a real knack for writing great sexual
tension (the kind you want to yell "get
on with in it already!") and extremely
tempting alpha males, teamed with
spirited heroines (sent to plague them).
Ms.
Lynn also has a wonderful sense of
humor. FALCON'S HEART, the last
installment of her entertaining Falcon
series, is bursting with fun. From
clever dialogue to the hilarious byplay
between its romantic couple, Marianne of
Faucon and Bryce of Ashforde, this story
is loaded with humor.
And
simmering with a red hot attraction
between this dynamic romantic couple.
With
vivid characters, an intriguing suspense
plus a sensual love dance, FALCON'S
HEART is smooth, fast-paced, lively...
and a whole lot of fun. ~ Debbie Jett,
Romance Reader at Heart
----------
Author Denise Lynn finishes up her
Falcon Series with a story about the
baby of the Falcon Clan, who is more
than ready to fly from the nest.
Marianne is a spirited maiden, a bit
spoiled and naive, but quickly proves
herself intelligent, resourceful, and
loyal as well. She's a likeable heroine
one can admire, and her idealistic
notions about the perfect mate will
appeal to readers, who are, after all,
romantics as well. Thankfully, Bryce is
made of true hero material. Not only is
he a virile warrior but he is a
chivalric knight, too. His treatment of
Marianne is endearing and quite enough
to win a woman's heart.
FALCON'S HEART is the fourth and final
book in this series, yet it is a
complete story in and of itself.
However, fans of the series will be
pleased that characters from the three
previous Falcon stories, notably
Marianne's brothers and their wives, do
make appearances in this one; and if you
have not read about Rhys, Gareth, or
Darius of Faucon, you are missing out.
It's an entertaining and memorable
series, concluding delightfully with
Marianne and Bryce's journey of love,
discovery, and adventure. ~ Sandra
Brill, Romance Reviews Today
----------
Falcon's Heart is more than just a woman
developing feelings for her captor and
vice versa. I know there are all kinds
of theories written about which explain
these types of feelings. In Denise
Lynn's version of kidnapping, however,
both the reader and Marianne discover a
man of great honor and integrity. I know
that doesn't quite fit with a kidnapper,
does it? In spite of that, however,
Bryce treats Marianne with great respect
and compassion. She never really wants
for anything and the danger to herself
is minimal. What is surprising is the
depth of character in Bryce especially
since he hasn't had a particularly easy
life. Denise writes with great passion
and flair throwing around humor, a bit
of suspense, a lot of romance and just a
bit of psychology. ~ Lori, Once Upon A
Romance
----------
Lynn carries on her tradition of
producing love stories full of suspense,
romantic characters, humor and a
can't-wait-to-read-it happy ending. The
hero and heroine are made for one
another -- both are headstrong and
warriors in spirit and heart. There's
good historical detail and awesome
secondary characters from previous
books.
Bryce, the new Lord of Ashforde Keep, is
furious. Someone has torched his home,
and he will have revenge. His plan is
simple: have someone kidnap the daughter
of his new enemy and then rescue her so
he can gain entry into Comte Rhys of
Faucon's stronghold. But his plan goes
awry when the fiery Marianne tries to
gut him with a cutlery knife and he
falls prey to her warrior heart.
Marianne is tired of being treated like
a child. She's a woman and wants to
experience the love and lust of a man.
But not just any man -- one who will
make her moan in the bedchamber and
cherish and safely guard the gift of her
heart. She believes Bryce is that man,
but misunderstandings and treason make
him an easy target for her family's
wrath. She vows to save him from certain
death and, in doing so, finds that a
love worth having is also a love worth
dying for. Reviewed by: Faith V. Smith
for Romantic Times.
======
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