Francesca
Praise for Bertrice Small,
“THE REIGNING QUEEN OF THE HISTORICAL GENRE”*
and Her Novels
“Bertrice Small creates cover-to-cover passion, a keen sense of history, and suspense.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Ms. Small delights and thrills.”
—
Rendezvous
“An insatiable delight for the senses. [Small’s] amazing historical detail . . . will captivate the reader . . . potent sensuality.”
—*Romance Junkies
“[Her novels] tell an intriguing story, they are rich in detail, and they are all so very hard to put down.”
—The Best Reviews
“Sweeps the ages with skill and finesse.”
—
Affaire de Coeur
“[A] captivating blend of sensuality and rich historical drama.”
—Rosemary Rogers
“Small is why I read historical romance. It doesn’t get any better than this!”
—
Romantic Times
(top pick)
“Small’s boldly sensual love story is certain to please her many devoted readers.”
—
Booklist
“[A] delight to all readers of historical fiction.”
—Fresh Fiction
“[A] style that garnered her legions of fans. . . . When she’s at the top of her form, nobody does it quite like Bertrice Small.”
—The Romance Reader
“Small never ceases to bring us an amazing story of love and happiness.”
—Night Owl Romance
BOOKS BY BERTRICE SMALL
THE SILK MERCHANT’S DAUGHTERS
Bianca
THE BORDER CHRONICLES
A Dangerous Love
The Border Lord’s Bride
The Captive Heart
The Border Lord and the Lady
The Border Vixen
Bond of Passion
THE FRIARSGATE INHERITANCE
Rosamund
Until You
Philippa
The Last Heiress
CONTEMPORARY EROTICA
Private Pleasures
Forbidden Pleasures
Sudden Pleasures
Dangerous Pleasures
Passionate Pleasures
Guilty Pleasures
THE O’MALLEY SAGA
Skye O’Malley
All the Sweet Tomorrows
A Love for All Time
This Heart of Mine
Lost Love Found
Wild Jasmine
SKYE’S LEGACY SERIES
Darling Jasmine
Bedazzled
Besieged
Intrigued
Just Beyond Tomorrow
Vixens
THE WORLD OF HETAR
Lara
A Distant Tomorrow
The Twilight Lord
Crown of Destiny
The Sorceress of Belmair
The Shadow Queen
Crown of Destiny
MORE BY BERTRICE SMALL
The Kadin
Love Wild and Fair
Adora
Unconquered
Beloved
Enchantress Mine
Blaze Wyndham
The Spitfire
A Moment in Time
To Love Again
Love, Remember Me
The Love Slave
Hellion
Betrayed
Deceived
The Innocent
A Memory of Love
The Duchess
The Silk Merchant’s Daughters
NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY
New American Library
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
USA | Canada | UK | Ireland | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa | China
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
For more information about the Penguin Group visit penguin.com.
First published by New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, April 2013
Copyright © Bertrice Small, 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:
Small, Bertrice.
Francesca/Bertrice Small.
p. cm.—(The silk merchant’s daughters)
ISBN 978-0-451-41373-4
1. Florence (Italy)—History—1421–1737—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3569.M28F73 2013
813'.54—dc23 2012043575
Designed by Spring Hoteling
eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-61509-6
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
To the man who first believed in me,
who always believed in me, and
who always encouraged me,
my late husband, George, my hero, my love.
March 6, 1923–July 5, 2012
Till we meet again, Toodle.
R.I.P.
