Love Letters: Conquered Hearts, #1

By Emily Murdoch

Anglo-Saxon England. Having built a rich empire and keen to win the favor of the royal court, Hilda and AEligard have little time for their daughter, Catheryn. But one man, Selwyn, is intrigued by the intelligent and high-spirited girl.

Selwyn sends Catheryn a love letter as a joke, disguising it as though it is from one of her father's thanes. Catheryn is fascinated by the letter, and cannot imagine who would be capable of sending a poem of such imagination and beauty.

When Selwyn offers to help Catheryn identify the mysterious suitor, she accepts, and they start to realise that they have more in common than they thought. Soon, Catheryn finds herself falling in love with Selwyn instead....

But the strict hierarchy of Anglo-Saxon England stands in their way. Selwyn, a steward, could never be considered Catheryn's equal, let alone an eligible suitor. Will they manage to stay together despite the odds?

Or will duty tear Selwyn and Catheryn apart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Emily Murdoch
• Release date: Feb 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201166298

Emily Murdoch

Emily Murdoch is a writer, a poet and a lover of books. There's never a time she's without a book. Her debut novel, If You Find Me, released in 2013 to global high praise and critical acclaim through St. Martin's Griffin and Orion/Indigo UK. If You Find Me, a Carnegie Medal 2014 longlister and a Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2014 finalist, has earned starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and School Library Journal; is a Young Adult Library Services (YALSA) Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) selection of 2014; was named a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice for June 2013; an Irish Times Editors’ Pick for 2013; an Editor’s Pick for UK’s The Bookseller 2013; a Booklist Youth Editors' Choice for 2013; and a Booklist Top Ten Pick of 2014. If You Find Me has also been nominated and included in numerous state awards/high school master reading lists, amongst those in: SC, TX, KY, RI, PA, WI, OR, DE, CT, SD, NH, OK, VT, and AR. If You Find Me was also a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards Best Books of 2013 in the Best Debut Author and Best Young Adult Fiction categories, and was a finalist for the German Children's Literature Prize 2015, along with a finalist for the German Buxeholder Bulle Award 2015. If You Find Me has been translated and published in Canada, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Korea, Taiwan, Italy, Brazil, Hungary, Turkey, and Vietnam, as well as in Braille. When she's not reading or writing, you'll find Emily caring for her horses, dogs and family on a ranch in rural Arizona, where the desert's tranquil beauty and rich wildlife often enter into her poetry and writing. Emily's other passion is saving equines from slaughter. She uses her writing to raise awareness of this inhumane practice, with the goal of ending the slaughter of America's horses and burros through transport to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico. She provides sanctuary to abused and slaughter-saved equines who dazzle her daily with their gentle gratitude in exchange for security, consistency, food and love. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Emily hopes her penchant for writing will do just that. All-in-all, she's a lefty in a right-handed world, writing her way through life and smearing ink wherever she writes.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Catheryn!

The clear voice called out across the courtyard. Heads turned, and faces smiled to see a familiar woman rush past them, dress swinging in the gentle breeze that the summer had brought.

But there was no smile on Eorwine’s face as she scanned the countryside outside her home for the daughter of the house.

Catheryn, where are you?

Catheryn could hear her, but she remained hidden below the dip in the field. She was lying on her back, glorifying in the sunshine that was pouring down onto her face. The winter had been long, and there was relief in every household that the summer had finally come to ripen their grain and to fatten their crops.

Her mother’s decorum had drilled into her the necessity of wearing her veil to cover her hair, but Catheryn, at only seventeen summers, was still desperate to have her own way. She had pulled her long green robe up over her knees, and was lying on the soft grass, smiling to herself as she felt the caress of the sun on her legs.

Being an only child was never easy, but for Catheryn it was somewhat more of a burden. Her parents, Hilda and Ælfgard, had gradually built what could only be described as an empire, and in the Anglo-Saxon realm of England, were becoming more and more important as their gold deposits and tapestry collection grew.

It had meant many an evening speaking with their steward about the next harvest, or bartering with merchants about wool prices until Catheryn’s eyes had been too heavy to keep open. She had retired to her chamber, but the debate would usually continue into the night. It meant that Catheryn could not remember a conversation that did not involve a sum of money, and that her parents were more knowledgeable about the continental need for silk than their own daughter.

Catheryn snorted as she remembered the evening before, when her father had given them all a lecture on just how important it was to be loyal to one’s king. Loyal to the King! Whenever she had seen the king – and it had not been many times at all – the most she had seen was a rather mature older man, who was quiet and preferred to be alone rather than process around his kingdom as he was forced to do. King Edward was not the sort of king that the Anglo-Saxons had expected. Their society was built on justice from the sword and honour on the battlefield; King Edward was more interested in fine cloths, prayer in his chapels, and quiet discussion.

But despite the slight disappointment that all the nobles felt in their calm and prayerful king, they had all, just as Ælfgard had, realised the importance of connections and loyalty. And at just seventeen, Catheryn knew exactly what that meant: attending the royal court, and trying to insinuate their family into the royal couple’s intimate circle.

Catheryn!

Eorwine’s head was just inches away from Catheryn’s, and Catheryn started when she opened her eyes.

Eorwine! Catheryn gasped, shocked to see someone’s face so close to hers.

Catheryn, she said disapprovingly as she pulled away from her wayward charge, veil flapping around her face. You are fully aware of what is happening today, and you chose this afternoon to go missing?

Eorwine was a lady on rather the larger side than the smaller side, and it took her a moment to catch her breath. She had evidently been running.

I was not missing, Catheryn replied languidly, closing her eyes again and making no attempt to get up. I have been contemplating.

Eorwine laughed through her panting, looking down at the wayward young chit. You have your father’s wit, I see. Come on now – you must return with me, the preparations continue and we require your help.

Now Catheryn laughed, and it was a light, sweet laugh that seemed to echo across the field. Eorwine, the king is coming. But he is not coming to see me, it is my mother and father that are the ones that invited him, and they are the ones that he wants to see. I have no interest in the matter. The laugh became an extravagant, and definitely false, yawn. I will attend the feast tonight, and I shall be well-behaved, but I cannot see what business it is of mine to stand and watch my parents panic about not having enough musicians to entertain a man that would probably prefer to eat in silence.

Eorwine raised her eyes to the heavens, and then sat down beside the disgruntled girl. Or rather, collapsed by the seated girl – her legs didn’t exactly give way, but they conceded the point to gravity.

And anyway, continued Catheryn, warming to her theme and finally opening her eyes and sitting up to face Eorwine, if my presence is so desperately required at home, then why aren’t my parents themselves coming here to fetch me?

Eorwine opened her mouth, finally hoping to speak, but Catheryn cut in before she could reply.

Exactly. They are too busy with the arrangements, and they have not even noticed that I am away from home. I could be anywhere for all that they know. It is you that wants me to return, not them.

Catheryn looked at her companion to argue against that truth, but she stopped. Eorwine had been a constant in Catheryn’s life for as long as she could remember; a nursemaid when a baby, a playmate when a child, a teacher throughout everything, a confidante when emerging into adulthood, and now…it was difficult to exactly place Eorwine now. Not servant, nor equal, she remained in the house because of past services, and was used occasionally to control Catheryn when her parents could not.

Eorwine sighed. You are too clever for your own good, my lady, she said, returning to the more formal style of address now that she had been out-argued. You speak the truth when you say that the king’s visit is of the utmost importance to your parents. But that does not mean that it should not also be an honour for you.

Catheryn looked puzzled. Why should the honour be mine?

Eorwine rose, heaving herself in a way that made Catheryn try to hide her smile, and smoothing her blue skirts around her. Before she spoke again, she readjusted the belt that was twined around what had probably once been a waist. "Catheryn, you are seventeen. You are an heiress, and if everything goes well tonight, you are practically a nobleman’s daughter. Do you not