For Love and Country
When A Man Is Torn Between Honoring His Country And The Woman He Loves, The Best Option Might Be To Choose Both. When Maggie du Woernig willfully ignores her parents’ admonitions and entangles herself with Nik Koenig, she is certain he’s the only man who will make her happy. Blind to Nik’s real intentions, she throws herself recklessly into a situation that could not only destroy her life but compromise the safety of her country. Han Heinrich has resigned himself to working in the castle stables, mostly as an excuse to have contact each day with Maggie. His
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Excerpt
from For Love and Country, Volume Three in The Horstberg Saga
The group of women passively busy at their needlework and chatting
casually was comfortable and the situation commonplace. But perhaps that was
the very reason Maggie felt so bored. No one had anything to say that she
hadn’t heard some version of many times before. It was always the same. The men
ran the country, and the women talked about what the men were doing, often
joking that it was actually the women
who ran the country because their husbands trusted them and relied heavily on
their insights and opinions. These women were all heavily involved in ways that
no outsider would ever suspect—especially if they could see them now, appearing
as if not one of them knew how to do anything
except create little pictures in fabric out of tiny little stitches. Maggie
wanted to scream!
Now that she’d stitched dutifully
for nearly an hour, the probability of graciously escaping became more
feasible, and she considered what she might say to her mother in order to be
excused. Ironically, she knew her mother wasn’t terribly fond of needlework
either; it rather seemed that she wanted her daughters to be privy to these
conversations, as if they might learn something. Maggie just felt bored. She
considered the possibility of a headache, or perhaps some feminine issue that would
necessitate her needing to retire to her room. Then the door came open, which
for a split second offered Maggie some relief at the idea of an interruption.
But it was Erich and Han who sauntered into the drawing room and made
themselves comfortable. She bit her tongue from suggesting that they should be taught how to make tiny
little stitches while sitting with their backs straight—as opposed to the way
they slouched onto the sofas in a manner that no gentleman ever would. She
might expect as much from Han, but Erich had been raised to be a duke. Of
course, Han had been raised at his side, so he supposedly did know how to behave like a gentleman. But it seemed that Han
brought out the worst in Erich.
“Hello, boys,” Abbi said, lighting
up at their appearance. Elsa lit up similarly since Han was her only child—her
pride and joy. If she only knew how her son behaved when his mother wasn’t
around!
“Hello, Mother,” Erich and Han
replied almost simultaneously, each offering their mothers a warm smile.
“What are the two of you up to?”
Elsa asked.
Maggie noted that Dulsie didn’t even
glance up from her sewing, as if she hadn’t noticed that anyone else had come
into the room. Nadine gave each of the boys a smile, which they returned
fondly.
Erich looked toward Han as if he
expected him to answer the
question—perhaps because it was his
mother who had asked it.
“Erich was just going down to his
laboratory,” Han said dramatically, “to try a new experiment.”
“How very exciting,” Abbi said with
a hint of dubious sarcasm. Her son’s interest in chemistry was one thing she
could have lived without, and she’d never pretended that she felt otherwise.
However, she also respected her children’s inclinations—as long as they were
reasonable—therefore, she tolerated
Erich’s hobby. Maggie shared her mother’s views. She thought it was silly. But
Erich took it very seriously. And their father had often said that if he wasn’t
going to be the duke, he would have made an excellent chemist. According to
opinions of experts who had helped teach him the science of chemistry, he was
actually very good at it.
“Would you like to come along?”
Erich asked.
“Who, me?” Sonia replied eagerly,
and Maggie knew her sister was far more bored than she’d been letting on.
“Yes, you,” Erich said.
“You mean you’ll let me into your
dungeon?” Sonia asked with an astonishment that was only a little bit wry.
“Of course.” Erich chuckled.
“I’d love to,” Sonia said, obviously
glad to put the needlework aside.
“How about you, Mags?” Erich asked.
“I’d rather not,” she said with
distaste.
“Ah, come on,” Erich urged. “It’ll
be fun.”
“Forget it, Erich,” Han piped in.
“She doesn’t like to have fun.”
Maggie saw her mother smile
slightly, and she wondered why Abbi might find this amusing. She knew that bringing
attention to it would only make her look foolish, so instead she tossed Han an
indignant glare as she said with forced nonchalance, “Going down to the cold,
dark recesses of this castle to watch bottles of liquid bubble is not my idea
of fun.”
“But today we’re doing something
very interesting,” Erich said. “We’re going to try a new experiment. And you
can be a witness.”
“Oh, go along, darling,” Abbi urged.
“It would be good for you to do something different.”
“Come along, little sister.” Erich
took her hand and pulled her right off the chair. She didn’t want to admit her
relief at tossing her needlework aside, but this wasn’t the escape she’d had in
mind.
“Apparently I have no say in this,”
Maggie said as she was dragged toward the door, her arm held firmly in her
brother’s grasp.
“Don’t be such a ninny,” Erich said
as if they were still young children in the nursery. “You were bored out of
your mind, and I know it. If you weren’t so stubborn . . .” He laughed and left
the sentence unfinished as he hurried to catch up with Sonia and Han, still
holding to Maggie’s arm.
They quickly traversed a typically
lengthy hallway before Erich pushed open a squeaky-hinged oak door and led the
way down the stairs with Sonia behind him, then Maggie, and finally, Han,
bringing up the rear.
“I hate these stairs,” Maggie said
in reference to the winding stone steps with a wall on one side and only a rope
bannister on the other. They seemed to go on and on, and she could almost get
light-headed if she wasn’t careful.
“Oh, they’re fun,” Han remarked.
“They’re scary,” she retorted.
“I always count them,” Sonia said.
“There are seventy-eight steps.”
“Really?” Han laughed. “Seems like
more.”
Maggie began to feel dizzy and
stopped briefly until she felt Han’s hand on her arm.
“Are you all right?” he whispered
close behind her ear.
“I’m fine.” She pulled away quickly
and proceeded down.
They came at last to the bottom, and
Erich pushed open another squeaky door of iron.
“This place gives me the creeps,”
Maggie said.
“It’s a dungeon.” Han smirked. “What
do you expect? Just think of all the ancient tortures and all the people who
died down here in the—”
“Oh hush!” Maggie cut off his
dramatic speech, and he grinned at her as they followed Erich into his
laboratory.
Mother had insisted that if Erich
was going to do this, it had to be here so she wouldn’t have to put up with the
odd smells or worry about fire. Erich came here almost every day without fail.
Maggie thought it was all very strange.
“Now, let’s see,” Erich said as he
lit a few lamps from the one he’d been carrying. He began picking up different
bottles and looking at the labels. “Ah yes, here we go. First some of this
and—”
“Don’t use that!” Han said. “We
decided it would need this if it was going to work.” They proceeded to work
intently on their project in silence while Maggie and Sonia looked on,
occasionally exchanging a glance of astonishment over their antics. Except that
while Sonia seemed more amused, Maggie felt mostly disgusted.
Maggie noticed, as she often did,
the unique contrast in Han and Erich. They were both slender and muscular,
above average height, but they looked nothing alike. Erich had red curls and
blue eyes, a stark contrast to Han’s fluffy, blond hair and green eyes. Maggie
recalled often hearing her mother say that the two of them looked and acted
very much like their fathers used to. And though the years showed in her
father’s face—and Han’s father as well—she could see the resemblances and had
to admit it was true.
“What are you going to make?” Sonia
asked with interest.
“A love potion,” Han said as if it
were nothing out of the ordinary.
“Really?” Sonia asked with a little
laugh.
“And just what is this love potion
supposed to do?” Maggie asked skeptically.
“It makes people fall in love, of
course,” Erich said as he busily poured a number of different liquids into a
vial.
“Baggage!” Maggie said, and Han
chuckled.
“All right, Han,” Erich said, “you
know what to do now.”
“Are you sure you got everything in
there?”
“Of course I’m sure.”
Han picked up a small vial and
poured a drop of something into the mixture. Immediately it began to bubble and
smoke.
“Good heavens,” Maggie said, but Han
only rubbed his hands together. Erich looked positively satisfied, and Sonia
was quite amused.
“That should do it,” Erich said,
then he poured the liquid into a drinking glass and it gradually stopped
bubbling. “Maggie would you hand me that . . . that rag over there?”
“What, this?” she asked, turning to
pick up a little piece of cloth, which distracted her and Sonia for just a
moment.
“Yes, thank you.” Erich took it from
her and wrapped it around the glass. “This stuff is kind of hot.”
“Well,” Han said with his hands on
his hips, “let’s see if it works.”
“Here goes,” Erich said. He took a
deep breath and lifted the glass to his lips.
“Wait!” Maggie cried. “You can’t
drink that!”
“Why not?”
“It’s probably . . . poison!”
“Oh, let him drink it.” Sonia
smirked. “It would do him good.”
Grinning, Erich glanced toward Han
and took a deep swallow of the drink. His face went into several exaggerated
contortions. He shivered visibly from head to toe. Then he squeezed his eyes
shut, opened them dramatically and coughed. When the initial effect seemed
complete, Erich held his breath and the other three stared with wide eyes.
“Whew!” Erich said. “That stuff is
potent.”
“How do you feel?” Han asked with
expectation.
“No different.”
Erich gazed quite obviously toward
Maggie and then Sonia, as if he expected something to happen. “Nothing!” he nearly
shouted. “What could have gone wrong? We did all the right things. It should
have—”
“Give me that!” Han said, abruptly
taking the glass from Erich. “They’re your sisters. You can’t expect to fall in
love with one of your sisters.”
“What is he talking about?” Maggie
asked her brother.
“After a man drinks that stuff, he’s
supposed to fall in love with the first woman he sees.”
“Baggage!” Maggie uttered.
They all became silent as Han took a
big swallow of the golden liquid and did an exact imitation of the reactions
Erich had performed. When he opened his eyes they were set on Maggie. He seemed
quite stunned and overwrought with emotion.
“What do you feel?” Erich asked with
intense anticipation.
“Erich,” Han whispered, “I never
realized your sister was so beautiful.” Erich chuckled with satisfaction as
Maggie’s eyes widened and she backed away. “She’s like an angel. I feel all
tingly . . . and oh, Maggie!”
Han deftly swept her into his arms,
and despite her efforts to get away, he held her to his advantage.
“Let go of me!” Maggie shrieked,
barely aware that Erich and Sonia were laughing intolerably. She didn’t find it
funny at all!
“Don’t speak to me that way, my
love. Oh, Maggie . . . say you’ll be mine. I need you in my life.”
“You are mad! This is baggage!”
“How can you say such things?” Han
looked genuinely hurt. “Can’t you see how much I love you?”
“Erich! Get him away from me!”
“But he’s in love,” Erich laughed.
“You can’t blame a man for being in love.”
“Ooh!” Maggie hissed, but Han pressed
his mouth over hers with a kiss that forced her into momentary silence.
“Let go of me!” she shouted louder
when he set her lips free.
“One more kiss, my love,” he
whispered, then overcame her with a kiss more passionate than the first.
Maggie forced back the memories
stirred by his kiss and finally managed to turn her face away. Han chuckled,
but she briefly caught something severe in his eyes that left her uneasy.
“You’d better give her some of that stuff, Erich,” he said. “She could really
use some. She’ll be betrothed soon and needs a little romance before the
dreaded thing takes place and it’s too late.”
Maggie wanted to retort that she was
in love and there would be no betrothal. But she bit her tongue, remembering
her father’s admonition to keep it a secret.
Sonia laughed and said, “I’ll try
some.”
Erich handed her the glass without
hesitation while Han continued to hold Maggie close, ignoring her continued
effort to free herself. Sonia took a careful sip and chuckled. “That’s nothing
more than scotch whiskey. You switched glasses!”
Erich and Han laughed boisterously
while Maggie finally managed to squirm out of Han’s arms.
“And how do you know?” Erich asked.
“Has my little sister been thieving from the duke’s liquor cabinet?”
“Just a little taste here and
there,” she admitted with a smile.
“Well, at least you get some
adventure.” Han chuckled while Maggie brushed the front of her dress with
exasperation. “That kiss is the most adventure Maggie’s had since—”
“Han!” she stopped him.
“Sorry,” he whispered and briefly
put his hand over his mouth. “I won’t tell. I promise.”
Erich’s brows went up, and Han
added, “Don’t ask, Erich. I won’t tell a soul—not even you.”
“If he does,” Maggie said, starting
up the stairs, “I’m certain that Georg Heinrich would be interested to know
what his son has been doing in the dungeon.”
“Threats?” Han called after her, but
she ignored him. “Do be careful on those stairs, my love. Oh, and if you hear
any serenading outside your window, it’s me. I’ll never forget that kiss. I
could live on it for the rest of my life. But I may get desperate and come
searching for more and—”
“I don’t think she can hear you
anymore,” Erich cut him off. “If she can, she’s not listening.”
“Too bad,” Han said. “I had so much
more to say.”
“Give me some more of that,” Sonia
said, taking the glass again from Erich. She took another sip and did her best
to imitate the required reaction. Then she opened her eyes and jumped comically
into Han’s arms.
“Oh, Han, my love,” she said, batting
her eyelashes. “Let’s run away together and get married.”
“I think I looked at the wrong
girl.” Han grinned.
“Kiss me, Han. Kiss me!”
“If you insist.” Han smiled and
kissed her every bit as passionately as he had Maggie. But when he pulled away
and Sonia started twirling around the room, he glanced toward the stairs where
Maggie had gone. There was no question about it. Maggie was a better
kisser—even if they were both sorely out of practice.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
While this may be volume three of the series, I had no
problem stepping in and starting the series with this book. In fact, I didn’t
actually realize I had started in the middle of the series until I finished
reading the book and went to start writing the review, so I guess I can say
that this book could be considered a stand-alone novel.
The characters were well-developed and personable. They were
flawed and very realistic. They were not all likeable. Maggie in particular was
not a very likeable person in the beginning until she learned what it meant to
be a real princess.
I think that Han was very courageous to take on the task
that the Duke asked of him as it could have backfired on him very easily, and
almost did! It’s a good thing he could recognize a diamond in the rough.
There were a lot of twists and turns and unexpected
happenings surrounding Nik Koenig and Maggie through the years this novel takes
place. I think that most of them were quite plausible.
I loved the closeness of the two families in this story and
the high value that the author placed on family. I also appreciated that this
was a clean romance. I found the lovemaking portions of the story much more
romantic written the way they were in this novel than when a story describes
everything in detail. There was the occasional swear word, but they were used
sparingly.
I am still left with some unanswered questions after reading
this book and wonder if the next book in the series will answer them. I won’t
list the questions because that may spoil the story for some of you. Suffice it
to say that the mystery is not completely solved to my satisfaction yet.
Anyone who enjoys mysteries and following family sagas should
find this story fascinating. I gave For
Love and Country 4 stars out of 5.
Thanks to the publishers for providing a copy of this book
in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required.
All thoughts are my own.
Author Elizabeth D. MichaelsElizabeth D. Michaels began writing at the age of sixteen, immersing herself ever since in the lives created by her vivid imagination. Beyond her devotion to family and friends, writing has been her passion for nearly three decades. While she has more than fifty published novels under the name Anita Stansfield and is the recipient of many awards, she boldly declares The Horstberg Saga as the story she was born to write, with many volumes in the works. She is best known for her keen ability to explore the psychological depths of human nature, bringing her characters to life through the timeless struggles they face in the midst of exquisite dramas.
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