By Arrangement

Lady Christiana Fitzwaryn was not opposed to marriage.  But she demanded to be married on her own terms, not as punishment for a romantic indiscretion, and especially not to a common merchant.  Yet she was in for a shock when she met David de Abyndon.  For she was confronted by no ordinary merchant but a man of extraordinary poise and virility.  He was unaffected by their difference in social status.  And even less affected by her well-thought-out arguments against their upcoming betrothal.  Instead, it was Christiana who felt uneasy in the presence of this naturally lordly man behind whose cool blue eyes she sensed the most uncompromising of passions.

David de Abyndon understood Christiana's dilemma, for he too harbored a secret pain.  How could he tell her that there was more to this arrangement than met the eye?  How could he tell her about his deal with the king--a deal that meant he had all but bought Christiana sight unseen?

What's more, now that he had seen this beautiful, spirited woman, how could he convince her that the love she sought was not in the callow knight she had romanticized but in the flesh-and-blood arms of the man who may have bought her body--but in the bargain lost both his heart and soul?

The lady and the commoner...

Lady Christiana Fitzwaryn was not opposed to marriage.  But she demanded to be married on her own terms, not as punishment for a romantic indiscretion, and especially not to a common merchant.  Yet she was in for a shock when she met David de Abyndon.  For she was confronted by no ordinary merchant but a man of extraordinary poise and virility.  He was unaffected by their difference in social status.  And even less affected by her well-thought-out arguments against their upcoming betrothal.  Instead, it was Christiana who felt uneasy in the presence of this naturally lordly man behind whose cool blue eyes she sensed the most uncompromising of passions.

David de Abyndon understood Christiana's dilemma, for he too harbored a secret pain.  How could he tell her that there was more to this arrangement than met the eye?  How could he tell her about his deal with the king--a deal that meant he had all but bought Christiana sight unseen?

What's more, now that he had seen this beautiful, spirited woman, how could he convince her that the love she sought was not in the callow knight she had romanticized but in the flesh-and-blood arms of the man who may have bought her body--but in the bargain lost both his heart and soul?

Romantic Times - Kathe Robin

The first in a marvelous triology by a fresh voice in the genre, By Arrangement combines historical depth and riveting romance in a manner reminiscent of Roberta Gellis. Ms. Hunter has a true gift for bringing both history and her characters to life, making readers feel a part of the danger and pageantry of the era.

Madeline Hunter is a nationally bestselling author of historical romances who lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. In a parallel existence to the one she enjoys as a novelist, she has a Ph.D. in art history and teaches at an East Coast university.