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Summary

Once upon a time, high in the Pyrenees Mountains, there were two happy and prosperous kingdoms. In one kingdom, a son was born and declared the crown prince. In the other kingdom, three daughters were raised in royal splendor.

This is the story of one lost princess, Princess Clarice, who flees with her younger sister to Scotland, where they survive by their wits and daring. But just when Clarice begins to believe she's safe at last, she attracts the attention of one of Scotland's most powerful and dangerous men.

Robert MacKenzie, the earl of Hepburn, is enchanted by Clarice's dazzling beauty—and wary of her talent for disguise. For years justice had been his only desire. A war hero, he knows the cruelness of the world and he cares too much for the people of his village to let them be victimized and exploited. But the moment Robert sees Clarice riding into town—her lush, smiling lips, her copper-colored curls, her warm amber eyes—he is overcome with emotions that have been deeply buried for far too long. Feeling he must have her at any cost, he invites her to stay with him at his manor house and won't take no for an answer.

Now, he has the chance to uncover the nature of her mysterious business in town, and possibly the chance to satisfy his burning desire for her as well.

Soon Roberts knows all of Clarice's most guarded secrets, and he uses this knowledge to blackmail her into giving her unwilling aid to his own perilous plan. Caught between her need to protect her sister and the dangerous man who mixes dark emotions with passionate kisses, Clarice plunges into Robert's glamorous world. Her days are filled with colorful gowns, elaborate parties, and swirling waltzes. And her nights are marked by secret assignations and one all-consuming passion.

As Clarice's golden beauty draws Robert from the shadows and her bright wit teaches him to live again, the treachery around them deepens. He swears to keep her safe, never suspecting that he will face an even greater hazard: losing his heart to the mysterious princess who just might make him believe in happily-ever-after ..