Cecelia Mecca's THE LORD'S CAPTIVE Spotlight & #Giveaway
Cecelia Mecca–THE LORD’S CAPTIVE
He captured her for revenge. She stole his heart in return.
The Lord
Sir Bryce Waryn has dreamed for years about the day when he will finally liberate his home from the Scots who killed his parents and stole his brother’s birth right. Now that day is finally upon him, only his brother has abdicated the title of lord of Bristol Manor to him. Bryce should be celebrating, but something unexpected stands in his way—the sister of the Scot who held Bristol. In the chaos of the raid, Lady Catrina Kerr was injured and left behind. Bryce takes her captive, hoping to exact an even more satisfying revenge from his enemy. Except the fiery beauty is far more compelling than he would like…
The Lord’s Captive will be available June 6, 2017 at a special introductory price of $2.99. Offer expires June 16, 2017.
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GIVEAWAY:
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He captured her for revenge. She stole his heart in return.
The Lord
Sir Bryce Waryn has dreamed for years about the day when he will finally liberate his home from the Scots who killed his parents and stole his brother’s birth right. Now that day is finally upon him, only his brother has abdicated the title of lord of Bristol Manor to him. Bryce should be celebrating, but something unexpected stands in his way—the sister of the Scot who held Bristol. In the chaos of the raid, Lady Catrina Kerr was injured and left behind. Bryce takes her captive, hoping to exact an even more satisfying revenge from his enemy. Except the fiery beauty is far more compelling than he would like…
The Captive
Raised by three elder brothers, Lady Catrina Kerr knows a thing or two about stubborn men. But Bryce is more strong-willed than all of her brothers combined. He’s also maddeningly handsome, brave, and kind—but no matter how compelling her captor, she’s intent on escaping him. Only then will she be able to protect her brothers. But as Bryce’s plan escalates and her feelings for him intensify, she finds herself facing an unthinkable choice between her family and the man who has captured her heart.
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EXCERPT:
CHAPTER 1
Northumbria, England, 1271
Sir Bryce Waryn wanted to rejoice, but the sight of his childhood home in partial ruins overshadowed his victory. The stench of battle hung in the air.
“What ails you, brother?”
Geoffrey, two years his senior, often treated him like a child.
Not today.
“This.” He gestured to the carnage in front of them. “I fear it will never end.”
They watched as a body was removed from the hall of Pele Tower, the center of activity at Bristol Manor.
“I wish I could disagree. Are you sure you want to inherit this mess?”
Bryce ignored Geoffrey’s question. “Come with me.” He had no destination in mind—only the urgent need to escape the smell. His brother nodded, and together they walked through the aftermath of a raid five years in the making.
The battle had started as the sun rose and ended before mid-morn. Thanks to his brother’s men, they’d overwhelmed the usurpers quickly, and they’d spent the better part of the day assessing the damages. Their losses could have been much worse.
Yes, he wanted to inherit Bristol Manor. Its proximity to the Scottish border guaranteed turmoil for years to come. But it was their home, and home meant something.
Although it should have been his brother’s inheritance. As a feudal barony, the title was tied to the land. Now that Bristol was theirs once again, the title was his brother’s by rights. But Geoffrey had already bequeathed the manor to him.
“I do,” he said to Geoffrey. “Though it’s an honor I don’t deserve.”
Geoffrey rolled his eyes. “We’ve been through this, Bryce. My home is with Sara, in Kenshire. Besides, I’m not doing you any favors here,” he added, gesturing to the brutality all around them.
New grass attempted to peek through the dirty brown snow of the courtyard. It was a small bit of pleasantness, that bright green. Still, he could not deny the manor was very different from his memories.
“You do know we won the battle?” Sir Hugh Blakeslee, their uncle, walked toward them with purpose. His black hair was sprinkled with grey, but though he was past his prime, Hugh still towered over most of the other men scurrying around the courtyard to dispose of the dead.
Bryce let his more talkative brother answer.
“We wonder how soon the counterattack will come. You know as well as I do, peace is unlikely at Bristol.”
Bryce handed his broadsword to his brother’s squire, a young boy who had begged to take part in the battle. The squire doted on his brother, much as Bryce himself had done when they were children. Neither of the brothers had wished to see the boy hurt, but they’d reluctantly agreed to his request, and Reginald had held his own in the battle. They were both proud of the lad.
He turned his attention to Hugh. “Much needs to be done here. Uncle, I’ve no right to ask you this. You’re newly wed. But—”
“My wife understands I’m needed at Bristol until it is fortified once again.”
“I’ll send word to Faye that you’ll be staying with us,” Geoffrey said.
“No,” Bryce said. “Not us.”
Both men turned looked at him. Bryce’s eyes narrowed.
“I promised your wife you’d return, unharmed, and by God, you’ll do just that,” he told his brother. “I’ve no wish to incur the wrath of Lady Sara. If not for your knights of Kenshire and the men Lord William sent, we would never have seen this day.” For years they had lacked the manpower to take back Bristol. Now they had enough men to secure both the manor and the surrounding area.
“You’ll need help to secure and restore Bristol,” Geoffrey insisted.
“Aye, and I have help. Hugh will stay, and I plan to ask Thomas to take a permanent position here. You’re needed at Kenshire.” Bryce looked back and forth between two sets of eyes that matched his own, startling blue and unflinching. His brother had the uncanny and singular ability to make him break eye contact.
Yet he would not back down, both for the reasons he had given Geoffrey and for others he didn’t wish to share.
“If you wish.” Geoffrey gripped his arm. “I’m proud of you.”
His chest constricted, but the feeling did not have time to take root. Geoffrey had already turned away to say something to their uncle.
Five years they’d sought their revenge. The Scots who’d invaded their home and killed their parents were finally defeated. Driven out. But now that the day of reckoning had arrived, Bryce felt unexpectedly devoid of emotion. He stared at the building in front of them, an old tower at the center of the manor. From the outside, it looked the same.
He’d balled his fists in anger when they went inside earlier. The manor’s decorative features were now distinctly Scottish. He would rectify that immediately.
♥
Cecelia Mecca is the author of medieval romance and has loved all things medieval England and the romance genre for as long as she can remember. Though her actual home is in Northeast Pennsylvania where she lives with her husband and two children, her online home is at CeceliaMecca.com.
