Donna Clayton - In Pursuit Of A Princess

“Donna Clayton pens a cozy romance with a lot of humor, heart and passion.”

—Romantic Times

Sighing, he closed his eyes and tried to relax. But the notions eddying in his head made that next to impossible.

All of these realizations posed a huge problem for him.

He’d gone out seeking a wife. A princess. As the successor to the Rhineland throne, he knew his parents fully expected him to fulfill that goal.

Yet here he was at the top of Byron Mountain after having run away in the night with a woman who had no title, no fortune, no lands…not even a social standing to offer him and his country.

Had he totally lost his mind?

Or just his heart…

ROYALLY WED: THE MISSING HEIR series—A Princess in Waiting by Carol Grace (SR#1588).

Dear Reader,

Have you started your spring cleaning yet? If not, we have a great motivational plan: For each chore you complete, reward yourself with one Silhouette Romance title! And with the standout selection we have this month, you’ll be finished reorganizing closets, steaming carpets and cleaning behind the refrigerator in record time!

Take a much-deserved break with the exciting new ROYALLY WED: THE MISSING HEIR title, In Pursuit of a Princess, by Donna Clayton. The search for the missing St. Michel heir leads an undercover princess straight into the arms of a charming prince. Then escape with Diane Pershing’s SOULMATES addition, Cassie’s Cowboy. Could the dreamy hero from her daughter’s bedtime stories be for real?

Lugged out and wiped down the patio furniture? Then you deserve a double treat with Cara Colter’s What Child Is This? and Belinda Barnes’s Daddy’s Double Due Date. In Colter’s tender tearjerker, a tiny stranger reunites a couple torn apart by tragedy. And in Barnes’s warm romance, a bachelor who isn’t the “cootchie-coo” type discovers he’s about to have twins!

You’re almost there! Once you’ve rounded up every last dust bunny, you’re really going to need some fun. In Terry Essig’s Before You Get to Baby… and Sharon De Vita’s A Family To Be, childhood friends discover that love was always right next door. De Vita’s series, SADDLE FALLS, moves back to Special Edition next month.

Even if you skip the spring cleaning this year, we hope you don’t miss our books. We promise, this is one project you’ll love doing.

Happy reading!

Mary-Theresa Hussey

Senior Editor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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In loving memory of Doris Montgomery,

my mom, my friend

Silhouette Romance

Mountain Laurel #720

Taking Love in Stride #781

Return of the Runaway Bride #999

Wife for a While #1039

Nanny and the Professor #1066

Fortune’s Bride #1118

Daddy Down the Aisle #1162

*Miss Maxwell Becomes a Mom #1211

*Nanny in the Nick of Time #1217

*Beauty and the Bachelor Dad #1223

†The Stand-By Significant Other #1284

†Who’s the Father of Jenny’s Baby? #1302

The Boss and the Beauty #1342

His Ten-Year-Old Secret #1373

Her Dream Come True #1399

Adopted Dad #1417

His Wild Young Bride #1441

**The Nanny Proposal #1477

**The Doctor’s Medicine Woman #1483

**Rachel and the M.D. #1489

Who Will Father My Baby? #1507

In Pursuit of a Princess #1582

Silhouette Books

The Coltons

Close Proximity

DONNA CLAYTON

is the recipient of the Diamond Author Award for Literary Achievement 2000, as well as two Holt Medallions. She became a writer through her love of reading. As a child, she marveled at her ability to travel the world, experience swashbuckling adventures and meet amazingly bold and daring people without ever leaving the shade of the huge oak in her very own backyard. She takes great pride in knowing that, through her work, she provides her readers the chance to indulge in some purely selfish romantic entertainment.

One of her favorite pastimes is traveling. Her other interests include walking, reading, visiting with friends, teaching Sunday school, cooking and baking, and she still collects cookbooks, too. In fact, her house is overrun with them.

Please write to Donna care of Silhouette Books. She’d love to hear from you!

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

“Let the mission begin.” Princess Ariane de Bergeron glanced around, her heart pattering like the wings of a hummingbird as she made her way through the maze-like halls of the castle. Anyone overhearing her talking to herself would dub her a simpleton. But wasn’t that just what she wanted? Let the citizens of this foreign country think she was silly. That fit her plans perfectly.

Yes, she was in a foreign land. And although the lush and hilly terrain of Rhineland was nearly as beautiful as her own neighboring country, she had to remember there were enemies here. Enemies who were plotting to seize her beloved St. Michel.

Ariane was so concerned for her countrymen, in fact, that she was here under the guise of responding to the interest of Prince Etienne Kroninberg. Just a little over six months ago, the prince had traveled to St. Michel to present her with a formal invitation to the opera. Everyone realized the significance of this visit. Etienne had clear intentions on Princess Ariane. And her father, King Philippe, had been in full agreement that the two royal families should unite.

Royal protocol had forced Ariane to accept the date, but if the truth were to be known, she found the opera to be the most boring pastime ever invented. And if the prince of Rhineland enjoyed opera, then he must be boring, as well. In order to entertain herself, she’d invited plenty of attendants and friends along for the evening. So many, in fact, that she’d spent little time alone with the prince. And if the complete truth were known regarding her conduct that evening, the crown prince would not only have been insulted, but downright outraged.

She grinned even now as she thought about her wicked behavior. The poor man. He’d obviously had no idea what he’d been up against. Now, had he invited her to go rock climbing or parasailing, maybe then she’d have wanted to get to know him. As it turned out, she returned to the opera house before the performance had ended…with Prince Etienne none the wiser, thank heavens.