NesseSynop

Though civil war rages and women have little power,

Juliana, chatelaine of Brandford Castle, is determined

to control her own destiny. She has made her manor

and lands flourish since the death of her neglectful

husband, Lord Rupert, and she is building a convent

on her property to house indigent nuns.

But Henry, Duke of Normandy and heir to England’s

throne, wants to take control of Juliana’s lands. A

scheming abbot and an ambitious former suitor of

Juliana’s are Henry’s ruthless allies.

Juliana’s neighbor, the handsome but sardonic

Lord Gavin, decides to aid her by proposing marriage.

But she fears Gavin is a mere land grabber like all her

other suitors. The true test will be whether the most

unsentimental of men can ever bring himself to say

the words that might win her heart.