The Bought Bride

Late eleventh-century England is the setting for this historical romance. Lady Rhoese of York owns considerable land, and King William Rufus sees her as a valuable asset he could turn to the crown's advantage if a knight of his court took her as a wife. Judhael de Brionne, a Norman army captain, agrees to the scheme. He has no other way to acquire property in England, so he is willing to accept Rhoese along with it. She is striking to look at but makes her hostility plain, and he believes that, with enough patience, he can win her over.