Читать книгу The Captain's Forbidden Miss - Margaret McPhee, Margaret McPhee - Страница 3

Margaret McPhee loves to use her imagination—an essential requirement for a trained scientist. However, when she realised that her imagination was inspired more by the historical romances she loves to read rather than by her experiments, she decided to put the ideas down on paper. She has since left her scientific life behind, retaining only the romance—her husband, whom she met in a laboratory. In summer, Margaret enjoys cycling along the coastline overlooking the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, where she lives. In winter, tea, cakes and a good book suffice.

Recent novels by the same author:

THE CAPTAIN’S LADY

MISTAKEN MISTRESS

THE WICKED EARL

UNTOUCHED MISTRESS

AUTHOR NOTE

I was reading a book on the Peninsular War when, instead of concentrating on all the facts and figures, my mind wandered off (as it is wont to do!) and I began imagining the meeting between a handsome French dragoon captain and the rather brave daughter of a British lieutenant colonel. They are enemies simply because one is French and the other English. Can love overcome that? Probably so, I thought, particularly if he is wickedly attractive! But what if there is more to it than that? What if there is a more personal grudge that lies between them? Whether love will flourish in such hostile circumstances is a much trickier question, to which Pierre and Josie’s story provides the answer.

Just a very brief note on the history: General Foy’s mission across Portugal and his large escort of protective troops are fact, although it is not certain that the 8th Dragoons formed a part of the convoy. The fifth battalion of the 60th Regiment of Foot were deployed in the region at the time, but the village of Telemos and the confrontation between these specialist riflemen and Foy’s escort belong only with Pierre and Josie.

I am indebted to Professor Tony Payne for all the wonderful information he supplied, on the Peninsular War in general and specifically on the details of military uniforms and Napoleonic armies, although any mistakes are, of course, my own. I hope that he will forgive me the certain liberties I have taken with accuracy for the sake of the story. My thanks also go to Carole Verastegui, for her kind help with French language translations.

Pierre and Josie’s is a story of love against all odds, and I really do hope that you enjoy reading it.