Bitter Fruit

A sweeping historical tale of love, loss, and the terrible sacrifices that duty demands...In the summer of 1152, the deeply devout Viscountess Ermengard of Narbonne is besieged by an ambitious archbishop and the Catholic patriarchy. Twice married and yet still a virgin, Ermengard longs to rule as she sees fit with a man of her own choosing by her side. The day Viking longboats sail into her sunny Mediterranean harbor, the Viscountess first fears invasion. But when the first ship arrives bearing a huge wooden cross and a handsome Viking nobleman, Ermengard dares to hope her prayers have finally been answered.Desperate to atone for a lifetime of sin, Earl Rogenvaldr of Orkneyinga is making the Christian pilgrimage from Norway to Jerusalem. To finance his journey, Rogenvaldr must do the King's bidding: pass off a gilded narwhal tooth as a unicorn horn, and trade it for a fortune in gold. Despite the dire warnings of his trusted confessor and his own conscience, Rogenvaldr takes the counterfeit relic and sets sail for the South of France. The Viscountess of Narbonne is just the unsuspecting victim he was hoping to find. Lonely and love starved, Ermengard eagerly welcomes Rogenvaldr into her city and into her bed. When he presents her with the unicorn horn, she doesn't hesitate to pay his price. If only he didn't find her so captivating. For Ermengard, the miraculous horn is also a golden key to her independence, and her heart's desire. But suddenly, children begin to die. Someone is slaughtering the innocent daughters of Narbonne, and the people are quick to blame the strangers. Who else could it be but the Viking horde drinking Narbonne's wine and gorging themselves on the ripe, sensual delights of its fertile lands? Rogenvaldr and his men must pay for their sacrilege, and their sins. Ermengard refuses to believe Rogenvaldr is to blame. When he sacrifices himself to save his men, she risks everything to uncover the truth. But the evidence leads down a twisted trail of heresy, treachery, and greed. Saving the man she loves could cost Ermengard far more than she ever imagined - her heart, her life, maybe even her soul.