A True Lady
Being the daughter of the pirate king isn't always easy-- especially when he's determined to marry his daughter off even if he has to kidnap the groom.  Cristabel lives on a tropical island, but longs for life among society in London.  When her father brings her "a fine English gent" to marry, she refuses at first.   After all, the man is being forced to marry her at knifepoint-- hardly an ideal situation.  But when her father threatens to kill him, she goes through with it.  Then her father puts her and her new husband on a ship bound for England and she realizes her dream is coming true.  Cristabel's mother was a true lady and all her life Cristabel has wanted to be like her mother-- a lady in every way. Mistaken for his brother Magnus, Martin Snow goes through with the mock wedding to save his skin. But he isn't really married to Cristabel-- much to her delight-- because he's already married to someone else.  He reluctantly agrees to part ways with Cristabel when they reach England, but he knows that when Magnus finds out, he won't be happy with the way Martin handled the situation.  Cristabel, on the other hand, is thrilled with a chance to be on her own for once. Being beaten up in the streets and accused of abandoning his wife leads Magnus Snow to believe his brother didn't tell him everything that happened on his adventures.  Confronted with the truth, Martin tells all about the lovely Cristabel.   Being a true gentleman, Magnus searches out Cristabel and offers her a place to stay with Martin and his wife Sophia.  Cristabel accepts Magnus' offer and discovers that life among English society is not what she expected. To Magnus, Cristabel is a wild, beautiful creature unlike any woman he has ever met.  Despite their differences, he falls in love with her.   Cristabel refuses to believe that the daughter of a pirate and an English lord could have a chance at happiness.   In her mind, she is only half a lady, and the other half isn't good enough for Magnus no matter what he might say.  But the true measure of a lady goes beyond what society expects and the free spirited Cristabel is a lady in every sense of the word.   Charming!  Edith Layton writes a marvelous tale! A True Lady is truly special!  Fast paced and humorous, it carries you along on a whirlwind of emotion! Romantic!  A wonderful 'opposites attract' love story!  Ms. Layton delights her readers once again with characters that are larger than life! Fans of Edith Layton will be thrilled with her newest story!  A most memorable tale!Kristina Wright  --Copyright © 1994-97 Literary Times, Inc.  All rights reserved--FromLiterary Times