Tamara Leigh’s THE YIELDING – Heroine Falsely Accused Struggles to be Believed

Set in mid-12^th century England, this is the story of Lady Beatrix Wulfrith, sister to Garr Wulfrith. She had thought to give her life to the Church when she encounters Lord Michael D’Arci, a man who hates her because he believes she murdered his brother.

Henry is now king and orders that one of Wulfrith’s sisters must marry the baron whose brother died at the hand of the Wulfriths (which took place in book 1, The Unveiling).

Since Beatrix was destined for the Church, it was decided tht Beatrix’s sister would go to the baron, but she does not want the marriage. So, the sisters plan an escape during which Beatrix falls into the hands of Simon D’Arci’s lust. In her attempt to defend her virtue, he falls on a knife and is killed. In the same incident, Beatrix hits her head and the injury affects her speech.

Simon’s brother, Michael, had been falsely accused of rape years earlier, thus he refuses to believe Beatrix’s accusations against his brother. When he finds himself at her mercy and she treats him kindly, he must reexamine his firm convictions.

There’s lots of action in this one, followed by Beatrix’s solitary existence hiding out from Lord D’Arci (which part was slow) and D’Arci’s commitment to revenge (he calls it justice) was a bit over the top at times. In the end, Beatrix tells her story and is believed. While not as good as the first book, it is well written, as always. A great medieval series all in all.