Wrongfully accused of murder, Aidanna O’Flaherty’s only ally against her evil brother-in-law Donal is the dashing English-bred aristocrat Declan Burke. Saving him from certain death, they fall in love, only to be separated when Declan is falsely accused of treason. Languishing in the Tower, Declan is powerless to assist his beloved Aidanna as she undertakes an epic struggle to expose her enemy and save her family and friends. She must race against time to prevent all she loves from being swept aside in a thunderous tide of foreign invasion.
The West Coast of Ireland, Summer 1546
CHAPTER ONE
The oaken door splintered inwards with a mighty crash. Aidanna lurched upwards from the bed, and gasped as her brother-in-law Donal caught hold of her wrist and jerked her to her feet.
“What’s wrong? Is Malachi ill again?” Aidanna gaped, as she trembled with fear and cold.
She looked from one face to the other in the dim torch light, and suddenly realised she was standing before them completely naked. Donal threw her arm away from him as though he had been burnt, and barked at the serving girl, “Get her a gown!”
One man, a stranger, tall and dark, stood staring at her unabashedly. Aidanna flicked her long auburn tresses over her shoulders to fall forward over her breasts as Rosa scurried about for her smock.
She shivered again, but her anger welled up as she demanded, “What is happening? Are we under attack? You have no right to come barging in here like this, with the entire clan at your heels!”
Rosa pulled the smock over Aidanna’s head from behind. She thrust her arms into the sleeves, and then squared up to the portly man standing in front of her. “I’ve only just got to bed after nursing my step-son for the past fortnight, so if this is some sort of game, Donal Mor, you’re going to regret it!”
She had always mistrusted her brother-in-law, and the dislike certainly seemed mutual as he lifted his huge fist and smashed her in the face. Her jaw throbbed, but she was only temporarily dazed, and would have fought him with her bare hands had her arms not been wrestled roughly behind her and tightly bound.
“We’re arresting you for the murder of Malachi Burke, and don’t pretend your innocence, you witch!”
Aidanna ceased her frantic struggles, as her aching jaw dropped open.
“Dead! What do you mean, he’s dead! He can’t be! The fever had turned! He was well. He was going to come to the ceremony tomorrow,” Aidanna trailed off in a whisper, as she realised with a pang that not only was her stepson dead, but she herself was now in grave danger.
She looked from one face to the other, and read nothing but hatred. Except for the stranger carrying the torch, they all avoided her gaze. Only he seemed to listen to her, his light brown eyes almost golden in the flickering light. But before she could say another word, Donal ordered her to be taken to the dungeon.
As her feet dragged over the rushes, Aidanna’s patience snapped.
“I’m innocent! For God’s sake, he was my stepson! I saved his life, nursed him! He was well! Ask the servants, they’ll tell you!” She struggled furiously, wriggling out of the two clansmen’s grip like an eel desperate for survival.
“They’ll tell us naught with their throats cut, as you well know,” Donal snarled.
She landed on the floor with a thud, and stared once more. Donal certainly had worked it all out, down the the smallest detail…
She kicked out at the bench nearby, ramming it hard into the legs of the men trying to drag her to her feet once more. They grunted in pain, and she flashed up onto her feet to dodge them. Think, Aidanna, think….
“Rosa, a warm woollen gown, and my cloak!” she called out in the confusion.
“Take the little bitch already, will you!” Donal barked.
“All right, I’ll go,” she said firmly. “But only to prove my innocence and that I have nothing to hide. But there’s no need to be so rough.”
They gripped her a bit less tightly, but still dragged her toward the battered down door. As the room began to empty, she took advantage of the clattering and hubbub to whisper urgently to her maid in Spanish, “Diarmuid, get him to safety, before they kill him too!”
Donal Mor hadn’t noticed the exchange, but the stranger had, and he stood there frozen to the spot.
Aidanna met his odd golden gaze, and pleaded desperately, “Whoever you are, surely you can see this has to stop? That I’m innocent.”
Another violent backhander from Donal’s gauntlet prevented her from saying anything further, and her head lolled backwards as her knees crumpled and she began to lose consciousness.
Strong arms caught her up behind her shoulders and knees, and she felt herself carried, almost tenderly, down the twisting spiral stairs of the castle.
“No one is to see or speak to the prisoner, and I want all her household executed for their part in this conspiracy,” she heard Donal command.
“No!” she shrieked. “You can’t do that! It’s monstrous. They’ve done nothing. I’m innocent!”
The last words she heard were a softly whispered, “I know. I won’t let them kill you,” before the cold darkness enveloped her completely.
The Sea Of Love
Sorcha MacMurrough
Word Count: 80,000
Setting: Tudor Ireland
Rating: Quite sensual.
ORDER NOW: $3.99 (US)
Reviews:
“Aidanna O’Flaherty’s world is pitched into chaos when she is wrongfully accused of murdering her stepson. Her only ray of hope lies in the dashing, English-bred aristocrat Declan Burke. They are drawn together against the threat of Aidanna’s evil brother-in-law, and soon fall in love.
“Their love is threatened when Declan is falsely accused of treason and thrown into the dreaded Tower. Aidanna must expose her enemy to save all she holds dear.
“The Sea of Love is a captivating tale woven with rich settings and vivid characters. Aidann’s and Declan’s attraction is magnetic, and the suspenseful drama keeps a reader turning the pages.” -Romantic Times, 4 stars
“A marvelous romp back in time. It hooked me from the first sentence. Aidanna is a feisty heroine with a mind of her own, able to outwit most of the men around her, but with a heart of gold. She takes risks for those she loves, and most of the time she wins. But like all true seafarers, she sometimes sails too close to the wind.
“Declan, the oh-so-sexy hero of the novel, is in way over his head when he first meets Aidanna. He has his own life back in England, and the last thing he wants is to be embroiled in Irish power politics. But his growing love for Aidanna makes him realize that he too has to stand up for justice.
“Pacy, suspenseful, and always fascinating, this is one for your keeper pile.” Evelyn Trimborn, Castles in the Air
“Fascinating. The characters, the time periods, the intrigue, all make for a heady brew. Right from the start, you know Aidanna and Declan are made for each other, but the intrigues between rival clan members and the evil Duke of Norfolk, plotting with the Spanish for the overthrow of Henry VIII, make the lovers’ lives uncertain. Aidanna braves everything fate can throw at her to be with the man she loves. Totrally gripping from start to finish, this is definitely one to be read in one sitting.” Jacinta Carey, The Wildest Heart
A selection of 5 star reviews from Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Barnes and Noble Top 25 e book, June 2001-November 2001
What a thrill!
Non-stop action and romance that will have your heart pounding from fear and delight. Mystery, suspense, and a whole lot more, in a winning combination from this talented and prolific author.
A superb read!
At last, a sizzling romance about Ireland in a different period of time, and an author who does not talk down to their reader. Excellent research, sizzling romance, and more murder, mystery and intrigue than an Agatha Christie novel! Great stuff! Enjoy every word of it, just like I did!
A rousing read; I loved it.
Well-researched, with spellbinding characters and sizzling love scenes, it has all you could want in an historical novel and more. It was an action-packed novel from start to finish. I can’t wait to read more of Ms. MacMurrough’s books on Ireland and its tumultuous history.
Fantastic!
I loved it! A great period of history which has not been explored yet. The author certainly knows their stuff! And the romance and suspense-better than any thrillers I read recently. Definitely one to watch out for in the future!
The Sea Of Love
Sorcha MacMurrough
Word Count: 80,000
Setting: Tudor Ireland
Rating: Quite sensual.
ORDER NOW: $3.99 (US)
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