Description
With the English and the French at each other’s throats, struggling for control of the North American continent, the battle lines have been drawn. But Marisa Jameson is witness to treachery closer to home.
After she overhears her uncle’s plot to destroy a Dutch town for his own gain, she threatens to expose him—and is forced to run for her life.
When the mesmerizing beauty says she needs a guide to visit a friend, Mohawk warrior Black Eagle agrees to be her guide, since her plans compliment his own. No one knows the wild forests of the New England better than he. But when danger dogs their every step, he suspects there’s more to Marisa’s anxiety to move swiftly than her eagerness to “visit a friend.”
Caught in the crossfire of a war and with a deadly assassin hot on their trail, Marisa and Black Eagle discover that trusting each other is the only way to outrun the enemy—and that love may be the only way to survive.
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Marisa Jameson has led a fairly sheltered life until now. Her family perished on their way to America when she was but a baby. Her only living relative, a step-uncle John Rathburn, gives her the protection of his name and home, but no freedom. He is a rich landowner and everyone that knows him thinks his act of kindness is to his dead sister. John Rathburn is known as a cold man, given to fits of temper but many acquaintances overlook this flaw in view of his fostering Marisa. Little does anyone realize exactly how scheming he really is.
At the age of seven, Marisa is summoned to her uncle’s library. Sarah, her maid, and close friend assist the little girl to dress in her nicest clothes for this meeting. Marisa is so excited that maybe now Step-Uncle John Rathburn has waited for his niece to mature and he is now going to profess his love for her.
The butler leads her into the library with a sneer on his face and closes the door on his way out. Uncle is sitting at his desk and pays no attention to her arrival. She is told to sit on a chair and sit still. Her uncle then proceeded to instruct her as to her behavior while living under his roof. To never be a disgrace to their family name, no childish displays of emotion, always display a polite, calm demure. He also mentioned it might be a little early to discuss these issues but he will have it understood now what is expected of her at all times. Also, when he deems it, she will marry who he chooses for her husband. He also proceeded to explain in detail her duty in the marriage bed. He demands her word that he expects full repayment for his taking her in, she will do exactly what she is told when she is told. At such a young age Marisa really can’t utter the words he is demanding of her. Does he not love her? Is this not why he took her in. He is unable to wait for this nit-wit girl to utter the words he demands to hear. Figuring she must be too young John Rathburn is resigned to mold her into what he needs. To obtain her fortune when she comes of age. He yells at her to leave his sight and Marisa runs to her room and cries herself to sleep. She resolves then and there she will never marry.
So go the years slowly by, if not for Sarah she has no hope. One evening Marisa hears footsteps outside her door very late at night. Her bedroom is the only occupied room in this wing. She sneaks out her door and proceeded to the door down the hall with the light showing under it. She there hears her Step-Uncle instructing a man to quietly invade a Dutch Pennsyvalian settlement and burn the fields and houses to the ground. When questioned why she hears a terrible plan. Since all the land is in owed debt to him, if the houses and fields are destroyed they will not be able to repay the payments. Therefore all the crops will belong to him and the people will be forced to work for nothing, just adding to the existing high debt they already owe.
Marisa is shocked that he can be so cruel but then she remembers Sarah in indentured to her uncle for a total of twenty years because her parents were killed in a fire that destroyed their property and since Sarah is the only remaining member the debt falls to her. Marisa realizes then she must get her and Sarah away from her uncles’ house. They will visit friends in Portsmouth New Hampshire. Marisa makes the mistake of confronting her uncle that she knows of his plans to destroy the Dutch town for his own gain and demands to visit the family friends.
Little does she know her uncle has already employed the man he was secretly meeting with when Marisa heard them. Richard Thompson was to employ a dumb Indian as a guide and then kill the whole party.
As luck would have it Richard contacted Black Eagle an English schooled scout who has already fallen under Marisa’s charms and determines to protect her till she and her maid safely reach their destination.
So begins an epic journey. Filled with danger, mishaps, many injuries and a love time will just enrich.
Received this as a free book for my review