The Dirty Frog

SHE WANTED A HUSBAND NOT A HERO. . .

Herefordshire was the home of Valentina Ashford's half-cousin, Charles de Michel, whom she only knew by reputation. Nevertheless, it was there she went in a desperate attempt to provide her remaining family with a place to live.

Having finagled Charles's reluctant agreement, Valentina concluded he more than lived up to his disagreeable reputation. Still, there were moments when she glimpsed another side of him and could not deny his charm. Though rumours about her cousin's allegiance to England were rife, Valentina became his staunch defender.

When Charles was finally apprehended and subsequently tried, the result convinced her she had been right to have loved him all along. She had refused to believe he would never come back or that he risked his life to set her free.

Hero: Charles de Michel
Heroine: Valentina Ashford