Isabelle turned the
paper over and recognized her father’s seal on the back of the
letter. She broke the seal and unfolded the page.
My darling daughter,
I’ve made
enquiries into the charges and events in Paris. Things aren’t as
they seem and I’m worried. I’m glad you’re in the abbey where
God and the good sisters can protect you. I’m afraid I can’t. I
can’t even protect myself.
The events
surrounding Pierre’s death are most confounding. Those who spoke
with the guards have all vanished. Even the tavern no longer exists.
This duelist is a ghost—no one can even describe him.
My informant
discovered Pierre delivered documents from the governor general of
New France to the president of the French West India Company shortly
after his arrival in France. Since the charges against him stemmed
from the colony, something in those documents must have been to
blame. My man continues to search for answers.
By now, you’ve
heard I’m ill. My physician can’t understand it, but while he
won’t confirm my suspicions, I believe I’ve been poisoned. No
matter what happens, you must stay away. I don’t know who’s to
blame for this, but I suspect it’s tied to your husband’s death.
I love you and miss
you. Be well my darling child. No matter what happens, follow your
heart.
Your loving Papa
Isabelle sat in the
pew and let the tears flow unimpeded down her cheeks. She reread
Papa’s letter more convinced than ever to discover the truth. She
was startled when a man sat beside her. She looked up into kind brown
eyes. Guy!
He hadn’t worn his
uniform. Instead, he’d chosen to dress normally, making it easy for
him to blend in with the other penitents who’d attended the first
church service of the day. He’d allowed his hair to fall forward to
hide his scar and further obscure his identity. Like an answer to
prayer, he held out his arms. Desperate for a touch of human
kindness, Isabelle went into them and cried until she was sure there
were no tears left inside. Gradually she became aware of the thumping
of Guy’s heart, of his breathing, and of the warmth suffusing her.
I
could stay like this forever. Before
she could nestle any deeper into his arms, she realized where she was
and pulled away.
Guy released her.
“Feeling better?”
The question had
become a familiar one to Isabelle. It seemed everyone thought a few
tears would heal even the deepest wounds, but there were some hurts
which could never be mended by tears alone. “Yes, thank you. Come,
walk with me.” She stood and moved towards the church doors.
Book Blurb: The Price of
Honor
What price is a woman willing to pay to
restore a man’s honor?
When her husband is falsely accused of
treason and murdered, Isabelle de Caen vows to find those responsible
and see justice done. Of royal descent, Isabelle is stunned when the
king orders her hasty marriage to one of his favorites, a man she
detests. To save herself from a fate too awful to contemplate, she
disobeys the king’s edict and commits treason of her own to find
the truth.
Childhood friend, Guy Poirier, an
aristocrat in New France, has always loved Isabelle. When he
discovers her hiding in his cabin aboard ship, he agrees to hide her
from her fiancé and help her clear her husband’s name. It doesn’t
take them long to realize there’s more at stake here than her
husband’s murder. With the fate of the colony in their hands, can
Isabelle and Guy prevent a war and find love in the new world?
About Susanne
Matthews:
Susanne Matthews was
born and raised in Eastern Ontario, Canada. She’s an avid
reader of all types of books, especially those with a happily ever
after. In her imagination, she’s travelled to foreign lands, past
and present, and soared into the future. A retired educator, Susanne
spends her time writing and creating adventures for her readers. She
loves the ins and outs of romance, and the complex journey it takes
to get from the first word to the last period of a novel. As she
writes, her characters take on a life of their own, and she shares
their fears and agonies on the road to self-discovery and love.
Amazon
author page and Goodreads
author page
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