A dowager duchess recently out of mourning, Charlotte is on her way to a holiday in Greece when pirates overtake her ship and enslave her. When they attempt to sell her to a Turkish sultan, she's sure she can convince the ruler to let her go. She's a matron and mother to two grown sons—and he has a harem and nineteen children. Whatever could he want with her?
Three nights, apparently.
For two decades, Sultan Ziyaeddin I has ruled his dwindling empire from several palaces in Constantinople, but the one on the edge of the Aegean Sea holds his most precious memories—and a precocious daughter who is overeducated for most men. Determined to introduce reforms, Ziyaeddin is far more enlightened than the sultans who came before him. Enlightened and alone. Convincing others of his vision for the empire has been a challenge.
Bored with his harem, he's intrigued by the English woman who is unceremoniously dumped at his feet by pirates. With her skills as a duchess and desire for a daughter, will she be the companion his daughter needs—and the answer to his loneliness?
Genre: FICTION / Romance / Historical / VictorianFairly new releae and currently only in Kindle Unlimited. Will go wide when current enrollment ends.
A hard bump and a round of shouts roused Charlotte from her state of half-sleep. Sitting next to her, Parma whimpered as her eyes lifted to the ceiling of their cabin.
She had no idea what had happened to Captain Popodopolos and his crew when the pirates had overtaken the Sun of Apollo, but she and Parma had been left in their cabin, the jamb so broken, the door could no longer be secured. The contents of both trunks had been tossed as one of the swarthy men had pawed through their contents.
Charlotte remembered wincing as she watched, quite sure he was leaving marks on her clothes with his soiled hands. He had paused and directed an angry question in their direction, but not understanding his language, Charlotte could only reply with a shrug and a quick glance at Parma. Had her hands not been tied in front of her, she would have waved her arms about in an effort to confuse him.
“Gold,” he stated.
Charlotte blinked. “No gold,” she replied.
The pirate pointed to her fingers. “Gems.”
“No gems.” When he gave her a look of disbelief, she added, “I was told not to travel with any valuables, so I left them in England.”
Aukmed entered, his gaze settling on her a moment before he said something to the first man. When he shook his head and began searching the other trunk, Aukmed turned his attention on Charlotte, his eyes narrowing. “English?” he asked.
“I am,” she replied, nodding.
“Her?” he asked, pointing to Parma.
“My lady’s maid.”
He scratched his forehead. “Where is the gold?”
Inhaling deeply, Charlotte said, “There is no gold, sir. At least, none that I know of. I was told not to travel with valuables.” She held up her tied hands and spread her fingers. “No jewels, either.”
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Portuguese
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Already translated.
Translated by Tânia Nezio
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by Diana Zamora Cuesta
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