Sir Roger de Montmorency is used to being obeyed with out question. Lady Mina Chilcott expects nothing from life except to maintain her pride and possibly to garner a little self respect. Margaret Moore brings this formidable pair together in a spirited
battle of the wills.

Things between the two get off to a bad start when Roger loses his patience while waiting for Mina to arrive for their arranged marriage. Roger’s overlord Baron DeGuerre had arranged the marriage to make amends for Rogers’s sister breaking her betrothal to Mina’s brother, Reginald. Roger agrees because of his unquestioning loyalty to the Baron and Mina agrees because she hopes that she can find some semblance of happiness after a dismal childhood.

Mina arrives rain soaked; late and much to Roger’s chagrin, red-headed. It never occurs to him that she could actually have an excuse, one that would make him look stupid. His poorly maintained bridge washed out which prevented Mina’s party from sending ahead a messenger. Still he treats her rudely and with contempt, though admitting only to himself that red hair, green eyes, spirit and a shapely figure might not be too bad after all.

At the wedding feast Mina overhears Roger boasting to the Baron that Mina would be overjoyed with his prowess on his wedding night. Insulted, Mina plots to destroy his manly pride which she does, by drugging him and leading him to believe that he assaulted her. The next morning he is devastated and stalks off. I was disappointed in that bit of vengeance but Roger’s character is extremely difficult to like so it was great. Not only is Roger rude to Mina at every chance, but is also rude to his long-suffering best friend Albert. I had a hard time believing that because his parents died and he had been separated from his sister for years was any reason to be a, “righteously indignant potentate” as Mina so aptly called him. Even the knowledge that Mina had been starved and beaten by her father didn’t seem to do much to soften Roger towards her. He remained in his stiff, obey-me-mode at all times.

Their marriage becomes an intolerable mess. Roger does try to redeem himself by buying Mina a horse and all is well for a moment until she tells Roger the truth about their wedding night. She apologizes, an act he seems incapable of ever doing. Once again their marriage becomes an even bigger mess when he stalks off for the second time. It seems they are destined to live separate miserable lives together in the castle.

In the meantime, Lady Joselynd arrives at the Baron’s request to try and lure Mina’s brother Reginald into marriage. She only wants the name, not the man because Reginald is a bit of a drunken fop. She set her sites on Roger and he purposely fawns all over her leaving Mina lonelier than ever. Mina pours out her heart to Albert in the garden which Roger sees making him instantly suspicious. His suspicions lead him to almost lose control.

This is not one of Moore’s best novels, mainly because it filled me with emotional frustration at Roger’s behavior. I couldn't stand him. Plus at times, the story seemed like a mundane soap opera with the hopelessness of everyone’s situation. I still don’t see how Mina fell in love with Roger. To me that was truly fiction.

However, Moore is an excellent writer and a “Norman’s Heart” got me in the end. It took a while but I was happy once Sir Roger finally began to thaw out. Eventually he came to his senses. Mina was happy too! ( )