The Merchant Prince

the long version

At the age of seventeen, Amelia Coomb already knew the pain of a broken heart, as she arrived in Paris in search of her fiance's grave. Reeling from her loss, Amelia was grateful to a sympathetic stranger who offered kind words. She assumed the black-clad Andreas to be a priest, and even as she felt herself falling in love with him, Amelia realized she must leave him. Now, at twenty-one, she is a stronger, wiser woman for having followed Andreas' advice. And she is fully prepared to enjoy her tour of the splendors of Venice... ...BUT WILL A PRINCE WIN HER HAND? Count Andreas Briccetti never meant for the lovely Amelia to think he was a man of the cloth. But before he knew it, she'd jumped to the wrong conclusion--which she clung to until they parted ways. Now, four years later, an unexpected gift arrives at his palace--in the form of the lady herself. He never imagined he'd need to explain his past charade to her--nor to conceal his new identity as a resistance fighter. But even as he attempts to protect Amelia from the intrigue and danger surrounding him, Andreas realizes that nothing can protect his heart from her charms... (The Whittakers #5)