Hugh & Willa
Hugh is a new Earl bent to claim his keep and the wealth that were his by rights. He finds he must marry to gain it all. AFTER he has insulted the woman he is to marry, he finds he can only gain the keep and that the wealth will go to her. Determined to gain the money to save the keep, he sets about to win her after his blunder. Her guardian is a witch who has proclaimed he must perform a certain act of contrition in order to gain Willa's hand or he will die. He performs the act (unbeknownst to himself) and she agrees to the marriage. They go to the keep. All her life Willa has been hidden to protect her life and the attempts start up again once Hugh shows. There is an attempt at her cottage that Hugh and her dogs thwart. At the keep her potion from her guardian forces a purge of poison that was given to her. Alive and well, that attempt is found out and the culprit caught - only to immediately force another attempt. All the attempts lead to Willa's long lost father (they believe). Once the keep is rid of the murderous vermin they are forced to present at court. Along the way, Hugh is set upon a few times and nearly murdered also. The plan to kill Willa seems to include Hugh now. They are set upon again and he must trust her abilities to save them both. He feels a real failure as it is a man's duty to protect his wife. All along, his protectiveness is thwarted when Willa does some of the saving and such. They are forced and he succumbs to the wishes of the witch who made a profacy about him making a choice. He makes the right choice and they are saved. They make it to court with the intent to flush out the killers (they believe it to be her father). She has other plans to confront him herself. She finds someone else is the true planner and all comes to a head in his chamber. Good read.
