Love Conquers All: Historical Romance Boxed Set Read online

  Love Conquers All

  Five Tales of Historical Passion

  from Award-Winning & Best-Selling Authors

  Table of Contents

  That Knight by the Sea by Catherine Kean

  Faithful Heart by Anna Markland

  Charming the Scholar by Lana Williams

  Master of the Highlands by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

  Champion of the Heart by Laurel O'Donnell

  Table of Contents

  Quick Start

  That Knight by the Sea by Catherine Kean Title

  Dedication

  Copyright Details

  The Legend of Kael and Aelwen

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  About Catherine Kean

  Connect with Catherine Kean

  Books by Catherine Kean

  Faithful Heart by Anna Markland TITLE AND COPYRIGHT

  DEDICATION

  MORE ANNA MARKLAND

  THE VON WOLFENBERG DYNASTY

  SKIMMING STONES

  MISTRESS OF THE FLEET

  THE DOCKS

  HATCHING A PLAN

  NIGHT

  FIGUREHEAD

  BODYGUARD

  IMPERFECTIONS

  FLOODGATE

  CONFESSIONS

  FOG

  INTO THE DEPTHS

  NEVER TRUST A PIRATE

  A SIGN

  NIGHT AT SEA

  LUST

  GIANLUCA

  GREEN HAT

  DEBTS

  RESURRECTION

  THE BEST LAID PLANS

  A HIGH PRICE

  DESPAIR

  DREAD

  THE NEW ZARA

  TOO LATE

  MENAS

  NAVIGATING ROUGH WATERS

  PURSUIT

  HEAVEN AND HELL

  NO REAL PLAN

  TERREMOTO

  THE SEA'S FURY

  TURNING BLUE

  CHAINED FOREVER

  A SORRY TALE

  OLIVES

  WELCOME TO VENEZIA

  BRUNO

  A VENETIAN WEDDING

  MISCHIEF AFOOT

  A BEDDING

  GETTING TO KNOW YOU

  THE VENETIAN WAY

  BRUNO'S FLEET

  EPILOGUE

  HISTORICAL NOTES

  ABOUT ANNA MARKLAND

  Charming the Scholar by Lana Williams TITLE

  TEASER

  OTHER BOOKS IN THE SEVEN CURSES OF LONDON SERIES

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  SPECIAL LOOK AT RESCUING THE EARL

  OTHER BOOKS BY LANA WILLIAMS

  AUTHOR'S NOTE FROM LANA WILLIAMS

  COPYRIGHT

  Master of the Highlands by Sue-Ellen Welfonder Title

  Story Teaser

  Praise for Master of the Highlands

  Conquering Hero

  Dedication

  Acknowledgment

  Personal Note from Sue-Ellen Welfonder

  The MacLean Bane

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Epilogue

  Author's Note from Sue-Ellen Welfonder

  About Sue-Ellen Welfonder

  Connect with Sue-Ellen Welfonder

  Available Sue-Ellen Welfonder Titles

  Copyright

  Champion of the Heart by Laurel O'Donnell Title

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Epilogue

  Thank You from Laurel O'Donnell

  About Laurel O'Donnell

  More Books by Laurel O'Donnell

  That Knight by the Sea

  A Medieval Romance Novella

  By

  Catherine Kean

  Dedication

  For my talented writing friends Kathryn Le Veque, Eliza Knight, Madeline Martin, Elizabeth Rose, and Laurel O’Donnell. It was an honor and a joy to work with all of you on the Mists & Moonrise collection.

  Copyright Details

  Copyright © 2017 by Catherine Kean

  Published by Catherine Kean

  P.O. Box 917624

  Longwood, FL 32791-7624

  http://www.catherinekean.com

  Cover design by Carrie Divine, Seductive Designs

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading
this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.

  The Legend of Kael and Aelwen

  Created by Kathryn Le Veque

  Cornwall legend tells of an ancient King of Cornwall, named Cador, who ruled Cornwall before the time of King Arthur. Cador’s wife became pregnant and an oracle foretold of a daughter so beautiful that men would go to war over her. Cador, fearful of this daughter with the legendary beauty, had the infant whisked away the moment of her birth by a young page in the castle. The young page was instructed to take her far, far away and never let her return, so the boy took her to the caves of St. Agnes where he stayed with the girl until she grew into womanhood. Her name was Aelwen and the boy who raised her grew to love her. His name was Kael.

  Kael and Aelwen lived on the remote Cornwall coast, in the cave of St. Agnes, until one day Cador came for Aelwen. He wanted to marry her to an enemy to cement an alliance but Kael refused to let her go. In his anger, Cador murdered Kael and stole Aelwen away to be married to his enemy, but Aelwen refused to be married to him and ran away, back to the caves where Kael’s body still lay. Men were chasing after her, men who would take her back to the enemy to be married, so she did the only thing she could do – she slipped an iron blade between her ribs and into her heart, killing herself. She fell upon Kael, united in death with him. High tide washed into the cave, carrying the bodies of the lovers out to sea, lost forever to the waves. But a great stain of red upon the wall of the cave lingered, said to be the mingled blood of Kael and Aelwen. Legend says that if two lovers touch that stain, together, then they will fall madly in love for eternity, but they must touch of their own free will.

  Chapter One

  Summer, 1199

  Cornwall, England

  “Keep your eyes closed.”

  Lady Adaline Mortimer giggled. “I am.” Cool sand shifted under her shoes, and the watery ripple of waves sounded close by as she hurried along the seashore, her hand entwined with Garrett Thurlow’s. Excitement rippled through her, spurred by the secret he intended to show her.

  How she wished she could open her eyes or steal a peek, but she’d promised him she’d keep her eyes shut. Oh, mercy, but never in all her thirteen years had she experienced a day like today—and she loved the sense of rebellion and freedom. She’d known Garrett, who was fourteen and an earl’s son, for only a few weeks, for he’d only recently been taken on as a squire at Ferringstow, her father’s castle. The dark-haired young lord with the charming smile had quickly become a friend to her, though, and then, something more.

  She’d loved the little treasures he’d given her: a bouquet of wildflowers; a beautiful patterned stone; a knot of wood that resembled a bird. They meant more to her than the costly jewelry she’d received from suitors, some of them thrice her age.

  Earlier in the town of St. Agnes, when Garrett had whispered the suggestion that they elude her guards so they could be alone, she’d agreed without hesitation. They’d run off when the men-at-arms had been preoccupied by a disagreement with the tavern owner, and had fled down to the cold, sunlit ocean bordered by sand and rock cliffs. They’d thrown off their cloaks and had splashed one another until their garments and hair were soaked and, when they’d fallen to their knees in the shallows, laughing and breathless, had shared the most wondrous kisses.

  She’d never kissed a man on the lips before she’d met Garrett. Now, she couldn’t imagine living without him, for his kisses brought her such joy. Still, she felt the tender press of his mouth upon hers, the sinful tingling that had rushed through her body and roused delicious sensations she yearned to explore.

  Garrett squeezed her fingers as she stumbled. “Not far now.”

  “We must hurry.” Addy shivered in the breeze gusting in from the sea and wished she’d put her cloak back on. “The guards will be searching for us.”

  Suddenly, she no longer felt the midday sun on her back; she’d entered shadows. Dampness enveloped her, and the air smelled of wet stone. Garrett must have brought her into one of the many caves along the shore.

  His fingers slid free of hers. “All right, you can look now.”

  They were indeed inside a cave, carved by the sea into rock of varying shades of gray and brown. As she glanced to the back, her gaze found a reddish stain on the wall. A chill rippled down her spine, for the crimson-colored mark resembled blood.

  Garrett moved in behind her and put his arms around her waist then nuzzled the back of her neck. Sparks of awareness skittered over her damp skin, and she leaned back against him, savoring the closeness they didn’t dare show in public at Ferringstow. If her father or mother found out they’d kissed, they would both be punished, for she’d been raised to remain pure in all ways for the man she’d marry.

  The possibility of punishment was very real, though, since they’d run away from her guards. She couldn’t bear for Garrett to get into trouble because of her. They really should return to the town…but then his lips brushed her nape.

  Mother Mary. She could barely think with Garrett kissing her so.

  “Do you know what cave this is?”

  “Nay,” she managed to say, while his mouth continued its sweet torture.

  “’Tis the cave of Kael and Aelwen.”

  She sucked in a breath, for she well knew the story of the ill-fated lovers.

  Long ago in Cornwall, a daughter was born to a king and queen—a princess named Aelwen. An oracle claimed Aelwen would grow up to be so beautiful, she’d provoke wars. The king feared such circumstances, and when she was old enough, he betrothed her to the son of a rival. Aelwen, though, had fallen in love with a knight named Kael, and they ran away, seeking refuge in the caves of St. Agnes. When they faced being captured, they took their own lives so they could be together forever in death. The red stain was said to be the lovers’ mingled blood. Addy and her best friend, Gwen, had often swooned over the tragic but incredibly romantic tale.

  Addy slid from Garrett’s embrace to face him. How handsome he was, his shoulder-length, dark-brown hair tangled about his face and a flush defining his strong cheekbones. And his brown eyes…. She could lose herself in the smoldering heat of his gaze.

  “How did you know I wanted to visit this cave?” she asked.

  Grinning, he shrugged. Yet, the resolve in his expression made her heart hammer faster, for if he knew of the cave, he must also know of the lore surrounding the crimson mark.

  “Do you know the legend of the stain?” he murmured.

  She nodded, every word committed to memory. “‘If two lovers touch that stain, together, then they will fall madly in love for eternity. However, they must touch of their own free will.’”

  Her excitement soared. Had he brought her here because he loved her?

  Was he going to ask her to promise herself to him?

  She did love him. Oh, she did. If he asked her to touch the stain, she’d say aye.

  He must have read her thoughts, for his arms went around her again, drawing her in close for another kiss. With a blissful sigh, she melted against him, and their kisses deepened.

  Kael and Aelwen surely had loved each other in such a manner: as if they’d shared their very souls….

  Suddenly Garrett tensed, and he lifted his lips from hers. Shouts carried in over the keening of gulls outside. She recognized the voice of Ferringstow’s captain-of-the-guard, and her eyes flew wide.

  “Garrett,” she whispered.

  He glanced about,
no doubt searching for somewhere for them to hide. Her stomach knotted with resentment, for she didn’t want to be found, to be forced back into the stifling role of a well-behaved, maidenly lady. If only she could run far, far away with Garrett—

  He turned, shielding her with his body, as the captain-of-the-guard strode into the cave. As she peeked over Garrett’s shoulder, the man scowled. “Milady.” He glowered at Garrett. “You are responsible for luring her away? I should have known.”

  ***

  Garrett pushed his shoulders back, his hands clenching and unclenching with the effort to control his temper. From the moment he’d arrived at Ferringstow Keep, the captain-of-the-guard had disliked him. Aye, Garrett was headstrong and rebellious; sometimes ’twas damned hard to keep in check the anguish, rage, and restlessness churning inside him that only abated when he was with Addy. Whatever the reason for the man’s hostility, however, it didn’t matter now. Garrett knew he’d not be welcome any longer at the castle, and that meant parting ways with Addy.

  God above, but he ached at the thought of never seeing or kissing her again.

  Her wet gown rustled as she stepped out from behind him. “Leave us,” she said, as if she were a king’s daughter.

  “I cannot, milady. Your sire ordered me to stay with you at all times.”

  The captain-of-the-guard’s gaze, full of accusation, returned to Garrett. Garrett refused to look away. He might have been reckless this day, but he wasn’t a coward. Nor had he put Addy in danger. He’d never have allowed her to be harmed.

  “What happened is my fault. I asked Garrett to bring me to this cave,” Addy said.

  His eyes burned, for he didn’t ever want to let her go; he also couldn’t let her take all the blame. “With respect, Addy—”

  “Milady to you, squire,” the captain-of-the-guard snapped. “Lady Mortimer, you can explain all to your father.” The man motioned for her to leave the cave and join the other waiting men-at-arms, one of whom carried her cloak.

  She reached back for Garrett’s hand.

  “He stays.”

  “Nay, Garrett is coming—”

  “I will speak with him first.”

  If the conversation went as Garrett expected, he’d never be allowed near Addy again. He caught her hand, pressed it, and committed the softness of her skin to memory before letting her go. Worry in her eyes, she turned and left the cavern.