Bleeding Heart

One jewel. One secret. One woman hunted for both.England and France, 1346–1349.War ravages kingdoms. The Black Death stalks the land. For Marguerite, a young woman determined never to depend on anyone, survival is only the beginning.Orphaned as a child and raised far from the home of her birth, Marguerite has spent her life relying on her wits, resilience, and ambition. She believes that wealth, titles, and influence are the only safeguards against a world eager to crush the powerless. But when a ruby necklace known as the Bleeding-Heart attracts dangerous attention, she discovers that nothing about her past is what she believed.The necklace is more than a priceless heirloom. It is the key to a long-buried secret others are willing to kill for.As enemies close in, Marguerite finds an ally in James Harcourt, the Earl of Ayton. A celebrated knight, trusted by kings and admired throughout the realm, James has faced war, intrigue, and betrayal without surrendering his heart. Yet the fiercely independent young woman who crosses his path proves far more dangerous to his peace of mind than any battlefield.Together, they are drawn into a deadly conspiracy that reaches from the battlefields of France to the courts of England. As hidden truths come to light, Marguerite must decide what matters most: the power and inheritance she has long sought, or the man who has become the one thing she cannot bear to lose.Set against the turmoil of the Hundred Years' War and the coming of the Black Death, The Bleeding-Heart is a sweeping tale of love, ambition, loyalty, and the courage to claim one's destiny.