Lady Sofia Beatrice Rosalynde Anne Therese Howard, a ward of King Henry Plantagenet, who is dedicated to fending off her many suitors, finds her considerable defenses weakened by the arrogant and dashing Sir Tobin de Clare. Original. Setting: Medieval England Sensuality: 7 Lady Sofia Howard is richly dowered and the ward of her powerful cousin, King Edward of England. Willful, independent, and full of mischief, she foils every attempt the king makes to betroth her to an acceptable nobleman. But at age 12, Sofia falls head over heels in love when she looks across a sea of people at a fair and into the eyes of a handsome knight, Sir Tobin de Clare. Over the next several years, Sofia and Tobin are thrown together on occasion; given Sofia's stubborn nature and Tobin's arrogance, it's not surprising that their acquaintance is stormy. But no one could have predicted the fireworks that erupt when King Edward betroths Sofia to Tobin without her knowledge or consent. While there is no denying the passion that blazes between them, Sofia wonders if she'll ever really know the hard-edged knight. At the same time, Tobin struggles to come to terms with the depth of his feelings for his impossible wife. Each has emotional scars from their childhood and Sofia needs to know that she is loved by Tobin for herself alone and not for just her rich dower. And when fate intervenes with war, hostages, and duty to his king, the arrogant Tobin may make one wrong decision too many and lose Sofia forever. Set against the backdrop of medieval England with all its pageantry, pomp, danger, and strife, Wicked is the story of two passionate, prideful people as they struggle to find a way to live and love together. Following Sofia and Tobin as they evolve from youthful sweethearts, embark on the heart-wrenching seas of matrimony as newlyweds, and at last reap the rewards of a deep and abiding love is a wonderful journey. Don't miss this third tale in Barnett's medieval trilogy that began with Wonderful and Wild . --Lois Faye Dyer Susan Elizabeth Philips Wicked and wonderful! -- Review Since her first book, Jill Barnett has been acclaimed as a fresh and witty voice in romantic fiction. Set apart by her unique humor and whimsical view of the world, she creates delightfully original novels with characters who, according to Romantic Times, "seem so real they are like close friends. Pure magic!" She is the recipient of a National Waldenbooks Award and a four-time RITA and Golden Choice finalist. Her work has been critically acclaimed as some of the very best by the Detroit Free Press, The Dallas Morning News, and Publishers Weekly. Jill currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she is working on her next book, which will be published by Pocket Books. Readers may write to her at P.O. Box 8166 Fremont, CA 94537-8166. Chapter One All Fools' Day, Leeds Castle in Kent, England It was the time of year for the Miracle Plays, which was good, because she needed a miracle to break the boredom of her feeble existence. She moved listlessly across the battlements. The sun was unusually hot that spring day, even hotter than the King's temper. Edward was her guardian, and guard her he did, particularly since he had somehow discovered her plan to ride in the squire races that were scheduled for after the play. Since the day before, she'd had little freedom. She had been forbidden to go near the stables and banished to her chamber for the whole evening while the King raged on about her faults. She exhaled a huge sigh, then crossed her arms in frustration and continued to pace the stone wall. She might as well have had her ankles chained together and been locked in the bottom of the donjon. Or...fed only bread and water like the German and Welsh captives the King kept for ransom. She reached the end of the battlements and spun around swiftly. Her braids came loose from their tight knots above her ears and she impatiently slapped them out of her face, then paced back in the opposite direction. Women were supposed to be content only sitting in the stands watching, while they waved their silly silken favors. A woman was supposed to wait until some knight chose to honor her with his attention. Sofia hated to wait for anything. She truly believed that if one stood around and waited for something special to happen, it never did. After her mother's death from desperately trying to bear a son and heir, Sofia waited for her father to come home. He was all she had left; she was all he had left. She was not yet four at the time, but she could remember it clearly, almost as if twelve years had not passed. She remembered the way she stood at the creneled walls, then at the arrow slits in the tower. Her ankles had rubbed together and been bruised after standing on her tiptoes for so long. Her neck had ached from the strain of stretching her chin high enough to be able to watch the horizon, to search the green hills for the first glimpse