Sarah McKerrigan, Lady Danger

Lady Danger

Sarah McKerrigan

Warner, Apr 2006, $6.50, 368 pp.

ISBN: 0446616176

In 1136, King David sends his most capable soldier Pagan Cameliand, a Norman, to take charge of Rivenloch on the Scottish side of the Borders, a key estate run by the ailing current lord's daughters, the Warrior Maids of Rivinloch. The two older daughters, Deirdre and Helena notice two men watching them bath nude; so Deirdre sneaks out of the river and forces the peepers at sword point to hand her their under garment trews, even knowing one of them is Pagan.

Deirdre and Helena are stunned when they learn that Pagan is to wed their gentle younger sister Mirel. Instead Deirdre gets Helena drunk and locks Mirel in a room. She darns wedding garb and crouches pretending to be his fianc e Mirel who is a foot shorter than her; Deirdre becomes his bride. As they battle at sword point in the training area and the boudoir, Deirdre and Pagan fall in love and respect one another, but will need to trust each other if they are to stop raiders and marauders as the monarch expects of his top soldier.

This is an entertaining twelfth century Borders romance starring two strong stubborn souls battling for supremacy. The storyline is at its best when Pagan and Deirdre conduct their war, which is much of the novel. He is so good with a sword, whereas she is an amateur in comparison, in spite of her reputation, which takes away from the possibilities of how their relationship could evolve if she was his dueling equal and not just with barbs. Still LADY DANGER is a fine historical tale, with two brave individuals trying to do the right thing while love complicates their efforts.