Midsummer Night's Desire

In the heat of their midsummer night’s dream, they tasted the ecstasy of a love more exciting than any staged masquerade.

Banished from Queen Elizabeth’s court for a murder he didn’t commit, Nicholas Leighton escaped capture by assuming a new appearance and identity. Joining Shakespeare’s acting company he was thrust into the dangerous and deceptive world of London’s theater, where illusions defied the senses and false identities were commonplace. Betrayed by the golden-haired beauty he had pursued, Nicholas vowed he would trust no woman, until lovely Alandra Thatcher, the stage master’s daughter, touched his heart.

Alandra was suspicious of the so-called “actor” in their midst. Though he professed to be experienced, she sensed him to be a novice, more interested in escape than in playing any roles on stage. She doubted that even the name he gave them—Christopher Nicholas-- was real. Though he was dressed in travel-stained garments she was certain he was the same nobleman she had glimpsed at court. How frustrating that the others were taken in by the scoundrel’s duplicity. But being an actor was not such an easy profession, as the stranger in their midst would soon find out.

Determined to keep her eye on the “nobleman” as he continued with his masquerade, Alandra didn’t foresee the danger waiting to strike not only Nicholas but herself as well. Nor that she would embark on the greatest adventure and experience the greatest love of her life.