Helpful Score: 7
At the heart of this story is the `rose', otherwise known as Roseanna Castlemaine, stunningly beautiful daughter of Joanna and Neville Castlemaine but in reality, the illegitimate daughter of King Edward IV. Were it known, it would cause her life to be in danger. She has been betrothed since the age of 11 to Baron Ravenspur, who should have claimed her at the age of 15 but now, all of 17 and having never met the man, she scoffs at the idea that they will ever wed and has fallen in love with the handsome Byron FitzHugh, friend of her brother Jeffrey.
Her mother Joanna has high hopes for her daughter making a good marriage, and a landless Knight, does not fit in with her plans. Roseanna hearing that her betrothed is staying at a nearby hunting lodge determines that she will go there and beg the Baron to break the betrothal. Mishaps along the way, cause her to lose her horse, get drenched in a pouring rain so that when Ravenspur's brother, Tristan, finds her he mistakes her for a peasant and decides to make a gift of her to his brother Roger, who along with his men-at-arms are all having an orgy at the hunting lodge. Ravenspur is stunned to realize that this is no peasant but his betrothed and having sworn never to marry again, initially agrees to break the betrothal but the more she provokes him he decides to go through with the marriage anyhow.
Roseanne, not one to take being lied to lightly, tries all sorts of escapades to escape the impending marriage and subsequent bedding, but would her feelings of, could it be lust, whenever Ravenspur is near betray her. She can't quite understand how she could `love' Sir Bryan, yet her body react with Ravenspur.
Very good story - excellent.
Her mother Joanna has high hopes for her daughter making a good marriage, and a landless Knight, does not fit in with her plans. Roseanna hearing that her betrothed is staying at a nearby hunting lodge determines that she will go there and beg the Baron to break the betrothal. Mishaps along the way, cause her to lose her horse, get drenched in a pouring rain so that when Ravenspur's brother, Tristan, finds her he mistakes her for a peasant and decides to make a gift of her to his brother Roger, who along with his men-at-arms are all having an orgy at the hunting lodge. Ravenspur is stunned to realize that this is no peasant but his betrothed and having sworn never to marry again, initially agrees to break the betrothal but the more she provokes him he decides to go through with the marriage anyhow.
Roseanne, not one to take being lied to lightly, tries all sorts of escapades to escape the impending marriage and subsequent bedding, but would her feelings of, could it be lust, whenever Ravenspur is near betray her. She can't quite understand how she could `love' Sir Bryan, yet her body react with Ravenspur.
Very good story - excellent.
