Welcome to another round of Medieval Monday! Once again, our theme will be “Nature.” Last time, I contributed snippets of an excerpt from Night of the Owl, the fourth book in my medieval romance/time travel series, The Novels of Ravenwood. (By the way, my editor should be sending me the preliminary galley of the fifth and final book, Return of the Raven, soon. Stay tuned for updates!)

For this round of Medieval Monday, I’ll share snippets of an excerpt from the third book, Shadow of the Swan. The “nature” elements won’t become apparent until Snippet #6…unless we’re talking about human nature!

This round will also be different from our usual routine. For the next 12 weeks, I and the other participating authors will post only our own snippets, instead of each other’s. To find links to all of our excerpts each week, visit the Medieval Romance Lovers Facebook page and look for the Medieval Mondays post. (#MedMonFall20)

Now, on with the show! Here’s a little about Shadow of the Swan:

Lady Constance de Bret was determined to be a nun, until shadows from the past eclipsed her present. Marriage is the safest option, but she insists on a spiritual union, in which physical intimacy is forbidden. Not so easy with a bridegroom who wields unparalleled charm! But a long-buried secret could taint his affection and cloak her in shadow forever.

Back from the Crusades, Sir Robert le Donjon craves a home of his own and children to inherit it. From the moment he meets Constance, he feels a mysterious bond between them. When she’s threatened, he vows to protect her and agrees to the spiritual marriage, with the hope of one day persuading her to enjoy a “real” one. She captivates him but opens old wounds and challenges everything he thought he believed.

Two souls in need of healing. Two hearts destined to beat as one.

Here’s the first snippet:

            He cradled her face with his hands. “I feel I finally know you. At least, more than I ever have.”

            She smiled through her tears. “I want to be known.”

            “Do you?”

            She nodded. “In every way.”

            He dropped his hands to his sides. “When you say ‘every’…”

            “I want our marriage to be more than spiritual.”

            His eyes widened, and hope shone within them. “You mean physical?”

            “Aye.” Heat flowed into her cheeks. “But not tonight. I still need time to adjust. Please be patient.”

            His gaze probed her soul. “I’ll be anything you want, Constance. Whatever you need, I shall give.”

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Well, that’s it for now. Have a lovely week, and I’ll see you next Monday!  🙂