Another fantastic read from Mason!
Mariah and her aging husband have a unique problem, for as young and healthy as she is he is not and they have no heir, which is no surprise seeming as he is more of a father to her than a husband and while they do love each other, save for consummating there marriage (years after the ceremony) and a scant few awkward times in between, husband and wife never sleep together! ever!
Now that Mariah's husband is on his death bed, Mariah's wicked brother inlaw is set to inherit the castle and wants to marry Mariah off to his Son (who is turning out to be just likehis father) In order to save her self and the castle, Mariah's husband starts planning up ways to keep his daughter, I mean wife safe from his horrible brother, when he answer to there prayers falls in to there laps!
Falcon is a younger son who has become a knight and proven himself to the king, as reward for his services the king has arranged a marriage to an wealthy heiress so that Falcon may finally posses the land and fortune he has desired. While on a visit to his soon to be bride, Roseamond, Falcon is attacked by highway men and left for dead... Falcon is rescued by a passing villager and delivered straight to Mariah's front door to be cared for. When Falcon awakes he has no memory of who he is, and Mariah's husband developes a plan! He wants Mariah to seduce the mysterious young man in order to become pregnant with the child he cannot give to her, the child, the heir they desperately need inorder to keep Mariah and the castle safe from Osgood, the devil of a brother in law who is set to inherit when Mariah's husband dies.
Mariah successfully seduces Falcon (not that he complained much) by telling him that she was her husband's daughter not his wife! after a month of nightly "meetings" Falcon is recovered and his memory miraculously returns.... He immediately heads off to try and return to the life he left behind (a little too immediately in my opinion)..... Falcon returns to find that Roseamond has married another knight and the king is off fighting in France...
5 years later Mariah has had Falcon's child and with the enthusiastic help of her aging husband passed the boy off as the new heir, after her husband's death Mariah has had to battle Osgood for control of her castle. She sent for help from the king who has newly returned from France. The king who is too busy to help decide weither or not Osgoods claims that Mariah'a son is not from her husband, send Falcon to sort the matter out.
When falcon arrives he slowly discover's the lies Mariah has told one by one he uncovers them and has to choose wither or not to protect the woman who calls to him away no other has ever been able to him, or to turn her over for the lies she has told him. He battles with wither or not to trust her, and wither he can love her is he does not trust her.
This was a great story, very heartfelt, very sentimental family drama. Excellent read!