Merline Lovelace (23 page)

Like most landlubbers, I’ve always been fascinated by the romance of the sea. My husband and I have clambered through many old ships—the
Mary Rose,
once the pride of Henry VIII’s fleet, raised from her watery grave off the coast of England and put on display in Portsmouth;
Old Ironsides,
the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy, berthed in Boston; the U.S. Frigate
Constellation,
named by George Washington and in service through World War II, currently docked at Harbor Place in Baltimore; and the
USS Cairo,
a Civil War-era ironclad pulled from the Mississippi mud and now an extraordinary addition to Vicksburg’s Battlefield Park, to name just a few!

But none of these ships ever grabbed my imagination like the magnificent clipper ships that owned the seas during the height of the China trade. Just picture them, with their clouds of billowing sails, their tall masts and thousands upon thousands of rattling sheets, each with its own name, knifing through the waters.

Jamie’s
Phoenix
was a forerunner of those breath-taking clippers, just as he was one of the early adventurers who dared defy the Emperor’s edict and sail into
forbidden Chinese ports. I like to think that intrepid souls like Jamie Kerrick helped open that vast, alluring continent to the Outsiders who followed in their footsteps, me among them. I fell in love with China when I served there many years ago as a lieutenant in the Air Force, and, like Sarah and Jamie, I hope to go back someday soon.

After twenty-three exciting years as an officer in the United States Air Force, I began a second career as a romance novelist Since then I’ve written nine novels for Harlequin Historicals, set in time periods ranging from ancient Egypt and Roman Britain to medieval France and the American West.

Most of my stones are set in places I’ve visited with my husband, Al, my best friend and husband of twenty-seven years We have so many wonderful adventures exploring the ruins of other ages, and it’s such fun to be able to share our discoveries with you in these books.

I’m thrilled to be participating in this special 10th Anniversary Celebration. What better way to enjoy the romance of past ages than through the covers of a Harlequin Historical
⁷
My best wishes to all our readers, and happy anniversary to Harlequin Historicals!

I always enjoy hearing from readers and can be reached via mail at P.O. Box 892717, Oklahoma City, OK 71389. Also, be sure to watch for my upcoming titles:
If a Man Answers,
a September release from Silhouette Intimate Moments, and “A Drop of Frankincense,” which is part of the 1998 Harlequin Historicals Christmas anthology,
The Gifts of Christmas

eISBN 978-14592-6126-6

THE TIGER’S BRIDE

Copyright © 1998 by Merline Lovelace

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention

This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries

Printed in U.S.A.