“A marvelous love story from the queen of medieval romance. I will buy anything she writes! Once again Patricia Ryan dazzles us with her amazing storytelling abilities. This is as good as it gets. If you only read one historical romance this year, it should be Secret Thunder!” The Literary Times

SECRET THUNDER

Patricia Ryan

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 1997 Patricia Ryan. All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.

Originally published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Putnam, Inc.

Dedicated with love to my uncle, Dr. Thomas Guy Burford. My sisters and I still have those Wives of Henry VIII dolls you gave us so long ago. See what you started?

Chapter 1

March 1067: The village of Cottwyk in Cambridgeshire, England

“It’s not much of a whorehouse.” Luke de Périgueux tugged on the reins, halting his mount next to his brother’s at the edge of the clearing. He could barely make out the humble cottage against the darksome woods that surrounded it; English forests were black as hell at night.