Alaric's Song England, 1154. To end the blood feud between the Merclifs and Cardels, King Henry orders handsome, self - reliant Alaric Merclif to marry Helena Cardel. Can she trust Alaric, her enemy? Even more, can any man accept her scars and choose to love her? Away from Here Quebec, 1641. A tragic death and a tangled web of deceit force Catherine Compeaux to marry Stephen Marot against her wishes. Now she's on a ship heading to new France with the man she hates, while her love, Gaston, remains behind. Chained to Your Heart London, 1864. Falsely accused of stealing, Katherine Brady is locked in notorious Newgate prison. Her only hope is agreeing to travel to Australia, to start a new life. The catch is, single women have to marry first, and Big Red the prisoner everyone is terrified of seems her only option.