Ransom My Heart

***Ransom My Heart*** is a romance novel written by Mia Thermopolis.

## Synopsis

### Plot

In 1291 England, Finnula Crais is the youngest orphaned daughter of the millers family. She is extremely tomboyish, often going out to hunt and insisting on wearing braies. When her sister, Mellana, reveals that she is pregnant out of wedlock by the troubadour Jack Mallory and has spent her dowry, Mellana begs Finn to kidnap a man and hold him for ransom, which has become something of a custom in the area.

Hugo Fitzstephen is returning as earl to Stephensgate after 10 years away in the crusades and discovering the death of his father. While traveling with his aid Peter they stop at a tavern and Hugo sees Finn and is immediately taken by her beauty, even in braies. As Hugo and Peter go to leave two men in the tavern attempt to rob them but are stopped by Finn, who then disappears.

While they travel, Hugo decides to stop at a pool he remembers from childhood and stumbles upon Finn bathing. He stops to watch her, but Finn sneaks behind him and holds a knife to his neck - revealing that he didn't come upon her by mistake, she planned for him to see her so that she could kidnap him and hold him for ransom. Hugo lies to her and tells her his name is Hugh Fitzwilliam and he is a mere knight from a town a bit farther than Stephensgate. Peter escapes the net that Finn had trapped him in and tackles her to free Hugo, but Hugo is enraged, as he was not upset at his capture, and instead insists that Peter go ahead and gather the ransom. Hugo tells Finn he will honor her kidnapping and allow himself to be ransomed, but as she is injured he gives her a large emerald as collateral and bandages her injured ribs fro where Peter tackled her.

Finn hunts rabbit for their dinner, and while they eat she tells him about the state of Stephensgate and how poorly run the manor has become since Reginald Laroche and his daughter Isabella have taken over. Hugo becomes very upset at this, which surprises Finn and briefly leads her to believe that he has come to arrest her for poaching, which he denies before kissing her. Finn pulls away, not wanting to get a reputation like Isabella's and explains her sister's situation. Hugo insults Mellana and Finn tries to turn him free, but he refuses. As they both fall asleep Finn becomes concerned that she she may not have the willpower to resist him if he makes another advance.

Hugo wakes up to Finn cuddling him and convinces her to keep him as a hostage. They pass the home of Matthew and Mavis Fairchild, who invite them in for lunch. Finn explains that she helped Matthew to marry Mavis by helping him pay her tallage, as Mavis was a serf, so they call her Lady Finn. After drying off in the Fairchild home Hugo and Finn go to retrieve their horses when Hugo kisses her and they passionately kiss before Evan walks in on them to return Finn's gloves which she left inside. Finn is horrified as Evan and Matthew will tell Finn's brother Robert about the kiss which will get her in to trouble.

Hugo insists on stopping for the night at an inn, not wanting to sleep outside, but Finn insists on getting two separate rooms. Only one room is available, but Hugo insists that he will be a gentleman and sleep on the floor if they share a room. Finn is concerned she will be recognized, so Hugo has her put on a dress she keeps in her saddle bag and wear his cloak to disguise herself as the bride of a strange knight. Finn is not recognized and is able to take a bath, but is shocked when she gets to her room and sees that, having shaved, Hugo is actually very handsome and much younger that she thought he was initially. They eat dinner in their room and Finn reveals to Hugo that she was married once, but her husband died on their wedding night. She and Hugo end up kissing and having passionate sex before cuddling and falling asleep together. In the morning they have sex again before leaving the inn and once more during a brief stop on the road.

As they finally arrive at the mill, Finn's brother and all of her brothers-in-law, as well as the Sheriff, are waiting for them. Sheriff de Brissac reveals that there is no such person as Hugh Fitzwilliam from anywhere around. Hugo tells Finn to go inside with her sisters and that everything will be fine. As Finn gets down Robert begins to chastise her, but Hugo jumps off his horse and draws his sword, pulling Finn behind him, and tells Robert he intends to marry Finn, with causes her to protest. Sheriff de Brissac asks Finn if Hugo caused her any harm, which she admits that he hasn't, and Hugo reveals himself to be Hugo Fitzstephen Earl of Stephensgate. Finn lets out a cry of outrage at this knowledge and begins to cry angrily and runs inside to her sisters. Sheriff de Brissac tells Hugo that Finn’s previous marriage was to his father, Geoffrey Fitzstephen.

A year earlier, Finn had been swimming in the same pond Hugo found her in when she was spotted unintentionally by Geoffrey Fitzstephen. He decided he wanted to marry her, but Finn and Robert both protested until he finally issued an order as Earl. The two were married but on their way to the honeymoon suite Geoffrey collapsed and died and Finn was accused of poisoning him by Reginald Laroche, but Laroche backed off after Father Edward declared the marriage void. After hearing this story Hugo surmises that Laroche poisoned his father and attempted to blame Finn in order to take the manor himself. Hugo tells the group that he still intends to marry Finn, but Robert refuses to let her marry another Fitzstephen.

Finn believes that Hugo only wishes to marry her out of duty and not love and therefore wants nothing to do with him. Hugo comes up to the girls room and gives a purse to Mel, revealing to everyone that she is pregnant by the troubadour and asks them all to leave the room so he can talk to Finn. Finn reminds Hugo that she told him she never wanted to get married again, but Hugo asks her if she would have married “Sir Hugh” and she shrugs, admitting to herself that she probably would have. She tells Hugo it’s irrelevant because she will never step foot in Stephensgate Manor again after her first wedding and reveals to Hugo that Geoffrey was completely mad and called Finn "Marie," believing her to be his deceased wife. Finn cries as the tells and Hugo comforts her. Hugo tells Finn that he needs her to show him how things ought to be done after Reginald Laroche has been running things poorly for so long. Finn tells Hugo she will make a terrible wife, but he just kisses her and they have sex before he insists on marrying her.

Hugo returns to Stephensgate Manor with Sheriff de Brissac and sees how terrible a state the manor is in. Hugo confronts Laroche and finds Peter with him, drunk. Hugo sends Peter to help with the horses and subtly accuses Laroche of poisoning his father and mismanaging the manor in his absence, as well as being an unfair overseer, starving the people to death. Hugo tells Laroche he will have to repay the money he stole from the people, provide an account for everything he did while he was in charge, and vacate the manor. Hugo meets a 9 or 10 year old boy named Jamie who Hugo that he’s his and Hugo believes Jamie is one of his charges. Hugo has dinner at the mill house with Finn’s family and when he returns to the manor Isabella tries to seduce him is visibly upset when he tells her he is marrying Finn.

Finn tries to run away but Robert catches her. She admits that she wants Hugo to tell her he loves her and Robert tells her she will have to actually play the part of a wife for that to happen. Finn asks Robert for help and he and her sisters prepare her for her wedding.

The next morning Hugo sees the Laroches off, both of whom are clearly displeased. He rewards the faithful service of Mistress Laver and Webster in his absence and has them prepare a feast for his wedding. Hugo and Finn are married and Jack Mallory turns up, who is then forcefully married to Mellana. Finn and Hugo go to his childhood bedroom in the manor, rather than the Earl's suite, and Finn reveals to Hugo that Jamie is his son, born after he left for the crusades. His mother was a milkmaid who died in childbirth. Finn tries to convince Hugo to release her from their marriage as they have not yet consummated it. Hugo asks if Finn hates him, but she admits she does not and they consummate their marriage. When they finish they hear cheering outside their window and Hugo throws coins down to get rid of the crowd who waited to hear them.

Finn sneaks out in the morning and has the servants bring all of Geoffrey's items outside to be burned in a bonfire. Hugo comes outside and talks with everyone and sees that Peter is clearly displeased with his station. Hugo takes a walk with Sheriff de Brissac and asks his advice on what to do with Jamie, Finn, and his subjects who hate him thanks to his father and the Laroches. The sheriff tells him to be kind and give them all time and they will come around. Suddenly, Sheriff de Brissac shoves Hugo out of the way as a large stone falls from one of the towers, nearly crushing him. The sheriff tells Hugo that someone must be trying to kill him. Peter appears and is concerned that there has been an attempt on Hugo's life.

Hugo has Finn change into a dress and they go to have dinner at the mill with her family. Finn excuses herself to go outside and runs into Peter. Peter asks Finn to speak to Hugo on the Laroches' behalf, but Finn refuses, reminding Peter that she was one of the vassals that they mistreated. Hugo and Finn go to leave, but Hugo is nearly bucked off of Skinner. Robert finds a burr under Skinner's saddle and Peter states that this and the stone from earlier prove that someone is trying to kill Hugo. Finn asks what Peter is talking about, as Hugo tried to hide the earlier assassination attempt from her. After they go, Peter talks with Robert's fiance Rosamund and suggests that Finn is the one trying to kill Hugo and that she also killed Geoffrey. He laments that he will not be able to prove it, but Rosamund says she will take care of it.

At the manor Hugo is furious to find everything missing from his room, but Finn has had everything moved to Geoffrey's room. They go to the bonfire and Hugo forgives all the vassals their past-due taxes and Finn lights the fire. Hugo shocks and angers Finn by throwing her braies on the fire and she shouts at him before storming off. Hugo is suddenly shot in the shoulder with one of Finn's arrows and Finn returns, shocked, and cries out Hugo's name before he loses consciousness. Peter accuses Finn of trying to kill Hugo, which infuriates Robert, but Rosamund's father, the mayor, backs Peter up, which upsets Robert. Finn's sister Patricia accuses Mayor Hillyard of framing Finn so that Robert and Rosamund will not be married, but Hillyard reveals that Rosamund was the one who told him of her suspicions of Finn and Robert chooses to end their engagement. Sheriff de Brissac refuses to send Finn to jail, as she is still the lady of the manor, and instead takes her to his home and Finn's hunting dog, Gros Louis, follows.

Hugo is rushed back to the manor to be treated and Jamie stands guard at the door to protect his father, as he saw who pushed the stone and knows who is trying to kill him. Peter tries to enter Hugo's room, but Jamie stops him. Peter realizes that Hugo acknowledged that Jamie is his son and says they can't take any chances, chasing after Jamie as he runs away.

Hugo wakes up and the sheriff tells him what happened that he and Finn suspect Laroche, though Finn is in custody at his home. He tells Hugo that Peter accused her but has since disappeared, as have the Laroches, as they never arrived at Reginald's sister home where they were headed. The sheriff believes that they are all working together to try to kill Hugo. Hugo asks about Jamie and the sheriff realizes that no one has seen him in some time and Hugo orders him to find him.

Sheriff de Brissac's mother bosses Finn around to make her into a better wife but Finn cries in secret over her concern for Hugo. Finn's sisters visit her and reveal that Jack Mallory disappeared in the middle of the night, presumably never to return to Mellana. The sheriff tells Finn that they have not yet found Jamie, as the dogs keep losing the scent of his tunic, but he will not allow Finn to track Jamie with Gros Louis. Finn hatches a plan with the sheriff to announce that Hugo has died and Finn is to hang for it to draw the Laroches out, but the sheriff does not believe that Hugo will go along with it but leaves to inform Hugo of the plan while Finn sneakily steals Jamie's tunic. She sneaks out of the house with Gros Louis and goes to the forest where the other dogs lost Jamie's scent. She gives Gros Louis the tunic and begins to follow him.

The sheriff arrives back at the manor and Hugo refuses to go along with the plan. The sheriff realizes that Finn used her plan to steal the tunic and go after Jamie. Hugo insists on going after her, even though he is still gravely injured.

Finn realizes the trail is leading toward Wolf Cave where she sees the Laroches, Peter, and Jamie, who is still alive. She plans to turn back and get the sheriff, but Gros Louis goes after a rabbit and the Laroches hear him and recognize him as Finn's dog. Reginald Laroche threatens to kill Jamie if Finn does not reveal herself so she reluctantly steps out. Isabella says they should kill Jamie anyway, but Reginald soliloquizes, admitting his guilt in Geoffrey's death and in attempting to kill Hugo. Finn asks them to spare Jamie, as he is only a child, but Reginald insists that both of them will hang. Finn insists that the sheriff is close behind her, but Isabella taunts her. Finn punches her in the face, breaking her nose, as Gros Louis barks and Hugo suddenly rides into the clearing.

On his way into the forest, Hugo ran into Gros Louis and realized they must be at Wolf Cave before rushing there. As he arrives, Laroche grabs Finn and holds a knife to her neck. Hugo asks Laroche to duel, but he refuses, so Hugo puts up the manor as the reward for the winner. Peter insists that everything has gone to far, as he could never follow someone who would kill a woman and child in cold blood. Hugo and Laroche begin to duel and the sheriff and his men arrive in the clearing. Hugo is becoming weary from his injury as they duel, but he suddenly taps into his reserves of strength and overtakes Reginald, though Finn cries out and begs him not to kill him. Hugo releases Laroche into the sheriff's custody and Hugo asks Finn if she forgives him for burning her braies. She says she does and asks his forgiveness for kidnapping him, which he says she doesn't need to apologize for.

Six months later, Mellana has given birth to a boy and Finn believes that the sheriff will propose to her when his mother finally passes away. Laroche has been tried and hanged, while Isabella and Peter disappeared into Scotland after Finn had Hugo bribe the men holding them to let them escape. Hugo has become a well-liked earl, and Finn is visibly pregnant. While at the manor, Mistress Laver lets in some men that are friends of Hugo's from the crusades. One of the men hits on Finn and wraps his arm around her before she draws a secret knife and holds it to his throat. Hugo comes in with Jamie behind him and tells Finn that he has been to visit Robert, who says hello, and that he saw Rosamund there and the two of them will probably be engaged again soon. Hugo sees that Finn has a knife to one of the man’s throats and tells the men that he sees they have met his wife.

### Characters

#### Finnula Crais

Finnula is the youngest orphaned daughter of the miller's family. She is a known rule-breaker, often wearing braies, and renowned for her hunting ability. She was briefly married to Geoffrey, the earl of Stephensgate, before being accused of his murder a few hours later. She kidnaps Hugo to hold him ransom after her sister, Mellana, becomes pregnant out of wedlock.

#### Hugo Fitzstephen

Hugo is the rightful Earl of Stephensgate who has been gone in the crusades for the past 10 years. While he is returning to Stephensgate he is kidnapped and held for ransom by Finnula Crais.

#### Other Characters

Crais Family

* Robert, 26, oldest and only brother to Finnula, engaged to Rosamund
* Brynn, 25, married to the town blacksmith with 4 children
* Patricia, married to the inn keeper with 3 children
* Camilla, married to Gregory, a winemaker twice her age after begging Robert to let them get married, and a gossip
* Christina, married to Bruce the butcher, 8 months pregnant
* Mellana, AKA Mel, a beer brewer who falls pregnant by Jack Mallory and asks Finn to kidnap and ransom a man for her dowry

Other Characters

* Sheriff John de Brissac, sheriff of Stephensgate
* Madame Clarisse de Brissac, the Sheriff's mother
* Reginald Laroche, Hugo's cousin who has been acting as lord in Hugo's absence since the death of Geoffrey, Hugo's father
* Isabella Laroche, Reginald's daughter, known for her sexuality and seducing of men
* Peter, Hugo's manservant
* Jamie, Hugo's bastard child from before he left for the crusades
* Jack Mallory, the troubadour that impregnates Mellana
* Rosamund Hillyard, Robert's fiance and the daughter of the mayor
* Miles Hillyard, the mayor of Shropshire and father of Rosamund
* Father Edward, the local priest
* Fat Maude, the town whore
* Webster, the manor's stable man
* Mistress Laver, Stephensgate manor's kitchen woman
* Matthew Fairchild, a farmer who Finn helped to marry Mavis
* Mavis Fairchild, Matthew's wife and a former serf
* Geoffrey Fairchild, child of Mavis and Matthew
* Evan, works on the Fairchild's farm

 Animals

* Violet, Finn's horse
* Skinner, Hugo's horse
* Gros Louis, Finn's dog
* Winnie, Sheriff de Brissac's horse

## Development and Publication

Mia Thermopolis began writing Ransom My Heart in the fall of 2005 at the suggestion of her therapist, Dr. Knutz, after her breakup from Michael Moscovitz. She wrote the book as her senior project and spent 19 months researching, writing, and editing it. Not wanting to explain the nature of her project or have anyone ask to read it, Mia told her friends and family that she was actually researching and writing a paper about the history of Genovian olive oil pressing, circa 1254-1650. As her senior advisor, Karen Martinez did know the true nature of Mia's book, but she only appeared to have read the first 80 pages, as she no longer edited anything after that point.

Mia sent Ransom My Heart out to publishers under the pen name Daphne Delacroix. She received numerous rejections (including one offer to pay the publishers the publish the book) before getting a call from Claire French at Avon Books. Claire offered "Daphne" a publishing contract, but asked for her real name. Mia gave it to her and after hearing Claire's dates and numbers asked to call her back. After telling her friends and family Mia called Claire back to accept, but Claire told Mia her name sounded familiar and she googled her and discovered she is the princess of Genovia. Claire assumed that Mia was not writing the book for financial gain and Mia explained she planned to donate the proceeds to Greenpeace. Claire tells her that the book would gain more traction and make more money for Greenpeace if it was published under her real name, and Mia agreed.

Mia re-posts multiple reviews and interviews she does for Ransom My Heart on her blog, MiaThermopolis.com. The book is published on recycled paper in January, 2009.

Grandmère attempts to embargo the book, essentially banning it in Genovia, after it is published. Mia puts complimentary copies out in the waiting room of the Royal Genovian Health and Wellness Center and makes sure they are for sale in the gift shop.

## Parallels and Allusions

Finnula's parents are named Philip and Helene Crais, similarly, Mia's parents are named Phillipe and Helen.

The villains Reginald and his daughter Isabella are similar to Prince René and his wife Bella. At the time Mia wrote the book René was campaigning for Prime Minister, trying to usurp the role from Phillipe.

Tina Hakim Baba points out that the main plot of a man (Hugo) who returns from a long time away and a woman (Finnula) who has a responsibility to her people somewhat mirrors the situation that Mia and Michael are in at the time she shares the book with her. Michael had just returned from Japan to prove himself while Mia had stayed behind and has a responsibility to Genovia.

Hugo gives Finnula a fake name so that she does not treat him better due to his being an earl. Similarly, Mia submitted the book for publication under a fake name, Daphne Delacroix, so that her book would be published on its own merits and not because she is the princess of Genovia.

Finnula's dog is named Gros Louis, which is French for Fat Louie, who is Mia's cat.

Hugo's horse is named Skinner - most likely an allusion to Michael's dog Pavlov. Pavlov is named after the scientist who experimented with conditioning and Michael named his band Skinner Box after a similar experiment, which is most likely where the horse named Skinner came from.

Sheriff de Brissac's mother is named Clarisse de Brissac, similar to Clarisse Renaldo, Mia's grandmother. She teaches Finnula how to properly behave as the wife of an earl, much as Grandmère does in Mia's Princess Lessons.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The Princess Diaries, Vol. X: Forever Princess
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 MiaThermopolis.com
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Princess Diaries