Stella Riley Livres

By the summer of 1639, England is sliding inexorably towards civil war, and the havoc of the times is reflected in the lives of the Maxwells of Thorne Ash. Red-haired and independent of spirit, Kate Maxwell is determined not to let the coming conflict disrupt the lives of those she loves. During her father's forced absence she vows to hold their home against marauding forces from both camps. More threatening to her peace of mind than the actions of either the Parliamentarians or the Royalists is her growing attraction to the diabolically clever and irresistibly magnetic goldsmith and usurer, Luciano del Santi. Hampered by the battling English, Luciano is fighting a fierce campaign close to his own heart - to avenge his father's execution at the hands of false accusers and to repay the loan which has financed the venture. Failure will result in ruin, perhaps even death; but success will allow him to reclaim the Black Madonna - the carved obsidian symbol of his heritage and his vendetta...