My Lord Husband's Ring

Quite near the center of south-central of Medieval France, in the Year of Our Lord, 1535, Lady Marie Therese Caron stepped off a heavy traveling carriage in the courtyard of Aufey Castle. Youthful, gracious Marquis Robert Moreau, one of the four noblemen vassals to the Duc de Languedoc, greeted her upon arrival. His family had been tasked with administering the northernmost territory of the duchy for generations. Death is seldom planned. And Lady Marie had been orphaned at the loss of her father, le Comte' (or baron), himself a vassal of the marquis. Since she had no brothers, her cousin assumed the baronry, essentially pushing her out. As it was but weeks prior to the marriage to Lord Robert's second son, Lord Dominique, the teenage girl had been invited to Aufey prior to the event. In this moving novel, we watch the couple, against the customs of the time, fall in love. The status of wife of the second son fit just fine with the quiet girl's nature. For Lord Dominque, his role as the anticipated future seneschal of the marquisette made him the man out of the spotlight but vital to its function. He and his bride were ready to play support roles to the larger personalities that were next in line of succession. Out of the dark of night came a force of attackers. In a traitorous act the Captain-of-the-Guard had deployed far too many of the vassal knights and garrisoned soldiers away from Aufey. It gave a fatal advantage to the invaders. The Moreau dynasty fell that night. Lady Marie managed to survive the bloodbath, flee the castle and surrounding area. She found herself taken in by a generous-hearted couple, Lady Marie became simple "Marie". She found herself doing naught but marking time. Then a rumor came to town One of the Moreau lords survived the attack