Affairs of the Heart by Maxine Douglas Page B

need no looking after; she had
plenty of willing knights to defend her honor and visit her private
quarters.
    The sound of trumpets brought him back
to the present and the task awaiting him. His plan was a simple one
that he’d have to conceal from Will. If he didn’t, the young squire
would find a way to inform his father of Reynold’s planned
deception.
    Reynold spurred Abraxas ahead and
entered the list at the east end at the same time Thomas did from
the west end. They’d been through this many times before on the
practice field. Abraxas stomped in eagerness to charge, and Reynold
spurred the stallion forward.
    Galloping toward Thomas on the
opposite side of the tilt, Reynold felt the jolt of the lance
against his chest. He’d hit Thomas but not enough to knock him off
his mount. Gathering himself, he repositioned the lance and charged
toward Thomas again. As they met in the middle of the tilt, Reynold
lowered his weapon at the last moment and felt the jolt of Thomas’s
lance hit him squarely in the chest, causing him to teeter in the
saddle. The cheers of the crowd echoed inside his arnet, vibrating
in his ears.
    One more pass, and it would be
over.
    Ignoring Will’s questioning look,
Reynold spurred Abraxas around and charged his lifelong friend for
what he prayed would be the last time. When the two passed, Thomas
lifted his lance, missing Reynold by inches. Knowing in that
instant Thomas was no fool, Reynold fell sideways, allowing Abraxas
to drag him to the west end of the list.
    The pain shooting through his body was
nothing compared to the satisfaction of knowing Thomas would
continue his life as a knight. His plan may not have worked to
perfection, but his honor to Thomas was held intact. Reynold would
find a new life—a lonely one but a life nonetheless.
    “ Whoa! Whoa!”
    The words came through the blackness
trying to take claim to his mind. Abraxas suddenly halted, and
Reynold felt himself lifted off the ground. Someone took his foot
from the stirrup and pulled the arnet from his head.
    Focusing, he gazed into the eyes of
his raven-haired love. He had indeed found his place, at last, in
Catherine’s arms.
     

     
    In 15th Century England, The Black Knight
a/k/a Sir Reynold, has fallen from grace with his childhood friend,
Queen Isabel, and is in a no-win situation. He must compete against
his friend, and blood brother Thomas. If he wins, Sir Reynold will
be banished from Heartsease; if he loses, Thomas will be stripped
of his knighthood…
    Courtney Parker is a 21st Century seamstress
at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. Unlike other reenactors, she
performs her profession year-round, making costumes for others.
She's always loved the story of the mysterious Black Knight of
Heartsease and has looked forward to it every year. But this year’s
different…
    Issie Cummings, the Ren Faire’s potion
shopkeeper, will stop at nothing to gain what escaped her centuries
ago...Sir Reynold Loddington’s love and body.
    Will Reynold be able to turn back the hands
of time and right what went wrong—or will he find himself banned
from another country and the woman he loves?
     
    Get your download today and post a
review!
    www.museituppublishing.com / www.amazon.com
     
    A Knight to Remember Excerpt © 2012 by Maxine
Douglas
     
    MuseItUp Publishing
    14878 James, Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada, H9H
1P5
     
     

 
    BLOOD
TIES
    Historical Time Travel by Maxine Douglas
     
     

Prologue
     
    “ Manda? Who’s
Manda?”
    Emma fingered the name on
the inside cover of the battered leather journal.
    “ Samanda―Manda―is, or was, my oldest sister. You carry her
name Emma―Emma Samanda Sorenson.”
    “ You have a
sister named Manda?” Emma’s heart flipped with regret that her
mother had kept such a secret from her. “What happened to her,
Mom?”
    “ The Kinsman
house is what happened to her, and the family who lived there. She
was in love with one of the Kinsman boys―Henry. He had this look
about him like he