Solid and impregnable, its high walls were proof against any invasive force that might assail it. Beth rode into the courtyard with a clatter of hoofs and slid from her saddle at the foot of the flight of stone steps that gave access to the thick oak door barring the entrance to the Traherne ancestral home. A stable boy, summoned by the sound of her arrival, came running to grasp the mare’s reins, and stood smiling as she dismounted. Beth thanked him and ascended the steps to the terrace, filled now with thrilling anticipation at the thought of seeing Adam. The door of the house opened as she approached, and a tall figure appeared. Her heart seemed to miss a beat when she recognised Adam Traherne, and then her pulses raced. She ran towards him, and Adam came forward, tall and powerful, moving with the strength and grace of a lion. He met her near the top of the steps and swung her up into his arms, crushing her against his hard body as he smothered her face with passionate kisses.
