The love of her life doesn’t know she exists. Still, ever the optimist, Mariote Dundotter-McCullum makes a wish on a falling star: to marry the man before her next birthday. Little does she know that someone else is wishing on the same star.
When it looks as though her wish to marry will never come true, Mariote decides to settle for someone who has been professing his love for her through beautiful letters. It doesn't matter that he is the son of her father's enemy, or that she can’t remember ever meeting him. Mariote believes ‘tis better to be loved by someone than never at all. So, she steals away in the middle of the night to make her own joy.
There’s another who has loved her since the first time he saw her. After learning Mariote has run off to marry someone else, he goes after her. But will he have the courage to give her his heart and to make his secret wish come true?
This is the first book in my Daughters of Moirra Dundotter series. This will be a four book series. Currently, Mariote, has 137 reviews with an average of 4.4 stars.
Mariote McCullum was very much in love, or so she fervently believed.
Why else would her heart skip a beat or two whenever she saw him? What other reason could there be for the way her stomach tingled with excitement at the mere thought of him?
Of course, the object of her devotion - and betimes torment - hadn’t a clue how she felt. Still, she loved the warrior with all her heart. Most women did, for he was so utterly handsome and charming. But Mariote loved him for more than his exceedingly good looks and the devilish smile he sometimes flashed the lasses. Nay, she loved him because he was good and kind and decent. Never had she chased after him like the other young women ‘round her age did. Neither did she giggle at every little thing he might have to say.
That had to stand for something, didn’t it?
Nay, she was not infatuated with him as the others were. She was deeply in love with him.
But he never flashed his brilliant smile her way. Nor did he pick her up and twirl her around or wrap an arm around her shoulder as she’d seen him do so many times, openly flirting with any woman, no matter her age or marital status.
Any, save for Mariote.
Nay, he kept a wide birth when it came to Alysander McCullum’s eldest daughter.
’Twas Yuletide Eve and most of the clan were gathered in the grand gathering room. There was much music, dancing, and merry-making. And right in the thick of it all was Willem McCullum. Dancing with one lass or woman after another, and completely ignoring her. Her heart would thrum happily whenever he approached the table where she sat with her sisters. Only to want to break again when he walked right by her without so much as a glance in her direction.
And not once this night did he ask her. What she would not give for his acknowledgement of her existence.
