The Child of Judas

When her flighty cousin Penela O'Dell jilted the Greek tycoon Heraklion Mavrakis at the last moment, Fenella took her place at the wedding and married Lion herself, under false pretenses. When he discovered her deception he was at first, naturally enough, furiously angry; but then he made a bargain with her. He would accept her as his wife, on one condition - that within one year she should give him a son, after which she could go free. But Lion didn't know that Fenny had been in love with him from the beginning, and that to have his child in those circumstances would only mean to her, the end of everything.

"I would never have chosen you!" Lion spoke with contemptuous cruelty. "However, the fates have worked it so that I find myself your husband. And as you are a fairly presentable female I might as well make the most of you. I must demand your total submission, awe and respect. It is my right to expect this from you - my wife!"

Wife... the word sent a shock through Fenny. The strange dream shattered and the reality swept over her. As impossible as it seemed, she was indeed the wife of Heraklion Mavrakis.

Hero: Heraklion "Lion" Mavrakis
Heroine: Fenella "Fenny" O'Dell