Description du livre
Young Florie Gilder has always known that her biological father is a noble--her only evidence an heirloom gold belt. Living as a commoner, she earns her keep as apprentice-jewelry-designer in her foster-father's goldsmithing shop. Secretly hoping to find her real father, she offers to sell the goldsmith's wares in the town of her birth--at the Selkirk Fair. With her heirloom gold belt on display, she hopes it will be recognized by her real father.
Leaving her booth at the Fair to take a moment's respite, Florie returns to find that a Lady Mavis Fraser of the Scottish court bought the gold belt (Mavis knows that her husband Lord Fraser would instantly recognize the belt as the link to the whereabouts of his illegitimate daughter whom he seeks to be reunited with, but such a reunion would foil Mavis's claim to her husband's estate). Florie, pursuing Lady Mavis, gives her back her money, wrests back the belt, and flees into the forest. Claiming Florie stole it from her, Mavis makes the authorities promise to find and execute Florie. Meanwhile, Rane MacAllister,a local hunter in the forest, mistakes the hiding Florie for a deer, wounding her with an arrow. He carries her to a local church where she will be guaranteed 40 days of sanctuary. When Lady Mavis hears the church has Florie, she commands Rane to guard her, but in the process he falls in love with her. Lady Mavis sets fire to the church, hoping to kill Florie, but Florie escapes. Rane's penalty for letting her escape will be death. At the eleventh hour, Florie returns, and must decide which she wants more--Rane's life, or her noble lineage...