The Best Is Yet To Be Read online

  THE BEST IS YET TO BE

  A Medieval Romance

  By Kathryn Le Veque

  Part of the de Wolfe Pack series

  © Copyright 2019 by Kathryn Le Veque

  Kindle Edition

  Text by Kathryn Le Veque

  Cover by Kim Killion

  Edited by Scott Moreland

  Reproduction of any kind except where it pertains to short quotes in relation to advertising or promotion is strictly prohibited.

  All Rights Reserved.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  License Notes:

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook, once purchased, may not be re-sold. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it or borrow it, or it was not purchased for you and given as a gift for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. If this book was purchased on an unauthorized platform, then it is a pirated and/or unauthorized copy and violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Do not purchase or accept pirated copies. Thank you for respecting the author’s hard work.

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  Kathryn Le Veque Novels

  Medieval Romance:

  De Wolfe Pack Series:

  Warwolfe

  The Wolfe

  Nighthawk

  ShadowWolfe

  DarkWolfe

  A Joyous de Wolfe Christmas

  BlackWolfe

  Serpent

  A Wolfe Among Dragons

  Scorpion

  StormWolfe

  Dark Destroyer

  The Lion of the North

  Walls of Babylon

  The Best Is Yet To Be

  The de Russe Legacy:

  The Falls of Erith

  Lord of War: Black Angel

  The Iron Knight

  Beast

  The Dark One: Dark Knight

  The White Lord of Wellesbourne

  Dark Moon

  Dark Steel

  A de Russe Christmas Miracle

  The de Lohr Dynasty:

  While Angels Slept

  Rise of the Defender

  Steelheart

  Shadowmoor

  Silversword

  Spectre of the Sword

  Unending Love

  Archangel

  Lords of East Anglia:

  While Angels Slept

  Godspeed

  Great Lords of le Bec:

  Great Protector

  House of de Royans:

  Lord of Winter

  To the Lady Born

  The Centurion

  Lords of Eire:

  Echoes of Ancient Dreams

  Blacksword

  The Darkland

  Ancient Kings of Anglecynn:

  The Whispering Night

  Netherworld

  Battle Lords of de Velt:

  The Dark Lord

  Devil’s Dominion

  Bay of Fear

  The Dark Lord’s First Christmas

  Reign of the House of de Winter:

  Lespada

  Swords and Shields

  De Reyne Domination:

  Guardian of Darkness

  With Dreams

  The Fallen One

  House of d’Vant:

  Tender is the Knight (House of d’Vant)

  The Red Fury (House of d’Vant)

  The Dragonblade Series:

  Fragments of Grace

  Dragonblade

  Island of Glass

  The Savage Curtain

  The Fallen One

  Great Marcher Lords of de Lara

  Lord of the Shadows

  Dragonblade

  House of St. Hever

  Fragments of Grace

  Island of Glass

  Queen of Lost Stars

  Lords of Pembury:

  The Savage Curtain

  Lords of Thunder: The de Shera Brotherhood Trilogy

  The Thunder Lord

  The Thunder Warrior

  The Thunder Knight

  The Great Knights of de Moray:

  Shield of Kronos

  The Gorgon

  The House of De Nerra:

  The Promise

  The Falls of Erith

  Vestiges of Valor

  Realm of Angels

  Highland Warriors of Munro:

  The Red Lion

  Deep Into Darkness

  The House of de Garr:

  Lord of Light

  Realm of Angels

  Saxon Lords of Hage:

  The Crusader

  Kingdom Come

  High Warriors of Rohan:

  High Warrior

  The House of Ashbourne:

  Upon a Midnight Dream

  The House of D’Aurilliac:

  Valiant Chaos

  The House of De Dere:

  Of Love and Legend

  St. John and de Gare Clans:

  The Warrior Poet

  The House of de Bretagne:

  The Questing

  The House of Summerlin:

  The Legend

  The Kingdom of Hendocia:

  Kingdom by the Sea

  The Executioner Knights:

  By the Unholy Hand

  The Promise (also Noble Knights of de Nerra)

  The Mountain Dark

  Starless

  A Time of End

  Contemporary Romance:

  Kathlyn Trent/Marcus Burton Series:

  Valley of the Shadow

  The Eden Factor

  Canyon of the Sphinx

  The American Heroes Anthology Series:

  The Lucius Robe

  Fires of Autumn

  Evenshade

  Sea of Dreams

  Purgatory

  Other non-connected Contemporary Romance:

  Lady of Heaven

  Darkling, I Listen

  In the Dreaming Hour

  River’s End

  The Fountain

  Sons of Poseidon:

  The Immortal Sea

  Pirates of Britannia Series (with Eliza Knight):

  Savage of the Sea by Eliza Knight

  Leader of Titans by Kathryn Le Veque

  The Sea Devil by Eliza Knight

  Sea Wolfe by Kathryn Le Veque

  Note: All Kathryn’s novels are designed to be read as stand-alones, although many have cross-over characters or cross-over family groups. Novels that are grouped together have related characters or family groups. You will notice that some series have the same books; that is because they are cross-overs. A hero in one book may be the secondary character in another.

  There is NO reading order except by chronology, but even in that case, you can still read the books as stand-alones. No novel is connected to another by a cliff hanger, and every book has an HEA.

  Series are clearly marked. All series contain the same characters or family groups except the American Heroes Series, which is an anthology with unrelated characters.

  For more information, find it in A Reader’s Guide to the Medieval World of Le Veque.

  Paris de Norville (The Wolfe) and Jemma Scott Hage (The Wolfe) find love in their sunset years
… with each other?!

  It seems like an impossible suggestion. Paris and Jemma first met in The Wolfe in a fiery explosion of temper and taunting – her temper mostly because he was taunting. Handsome and arrogant in his youth, Paris was a powerful knight, second in command to the great William de Wolfe, and found great sport in taunting a Scots captive named Jemma Scott.

  Pretty, amber-eyed Jemma was the oil to his water. The fire to his ice. Perhaps the sparks that flew between them at first were those of attraction, but soon another knight had Jemma’s attention and Paris was relegated to a role of both friend and tormenter. He affectionately called her Banshee and what she called him is not fit for delicate ears.

  It was a like/hate relationship for the ages.

  The years passed and Paris married Jemma’s cousin, Caladora. They had a wonderful marriage but sickness took Caladora from him and Jemma lost her beloved husband, Kieran.

  Missing Kieran, and missing Caladora, now it is Paris and Jemma again in their twilight years as the sparks that flew between them so long ago are rekindled.

  Find out how sweet and romantic love the second time can be as two widowers discover that life is worth living again… with each other. Love can be passionate and powerful, no matter what the age.

  “Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be…”

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Kathryn Le Veque Novels

  About the Book

  Author’s Note

  The parents, children, and grandchildren of the de Wolfe Pack

  Herald of the House of de Norville

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  About Kathryn Le Veque

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Poppy, Bonny, and Kee…

  That’s what William, Paris, and Kieran were called by their grandchildren. Who knew the fiercest knights in the north of England could be reduced to such pet names? But that’s one of the things I love about them – that they would lend themselves so completely and honestly to their grandchildren.

  This was a tough book to write, emotionally. Chronologically, this is the very last de Wolfe Pack book because a few key characters are gone and now the grandchildren are having children. Paris and William are in their nineties in this novel (if you’re keeping track of age). In Medieval times, that was unheard of, but then again, when did those guys ever do anything “normal”? They are immortal in my eyes and will continue to be so.

  One of the fun things you’ll find in this book is a three-generation chart of the de Wolfe pack – parents, children, and grandchildren. It took some work to pull that together, but I think it’s important to see how William de Wolfe and his knights “were fruitful and multiplied”. William’s grandson and namesake, Scott’s son William, even married Christopher de Lohr’s great-granddaughter, binding those two houses. I will write that story in WolfeStrike, coming in 2021.

  Two key locations in this book are, of course, Northwood Castle and Castle Questing. Those are fixtures in the de Wolfe Pack books. Northwood Castle is Norham Castle, right on the Scottish border. It’s a castle that in “real life” was owned and used by the Bishops of Durham and saw many battles with the Scots over the centuries. But in my universe, another name for Norham is Northwood Castle and it belongs to the Earls of Teviot.

  Castle Questing doesn’t exist, but I have the exact location of it, and it is everything I describe in the books – on a hill overlooking the countryside. The only thing missing is the castle. It is exactly 11 miles between Northwood Castle and Castle Questing, a distance that, on a good day in good weather, a man can make on a swift horse in well under an hour.

  This isn’t a huge book, and it was never meant to be, but more of a story of two people finding each other in a most unexpected way. There’s some turmoil, some confusion, and then the realization that something quite extraordinary is happening, but it all happens in a very wonderful and natural way. I truly hope you enjoy this “silver fox” romance that involves two of my oldest and dearest characters, tastefully and very sweetly done.

  Did I think they’d ever get together? Hell, no! And that’s what makes this so much fun!

  Hugs,

  The parents, children, and grandchildren of the de Wolfe Pack

  1293 A.D.

  William and Jordan Scott de Wolfe

  Total children: 10

  Total grandchildren: 75 (including 4 deceased, 7 adopted, 3 step-grandchildren)

  Scott (Troy’s twin) – (Wife #1 Lady Athena de Norville, has issue. Wife #2, Lady Avrielle Huntley du Rennic, has issue)

  With Athena

  • William (married Lily de Lohr, has issue)

  • Thomas

  • Andrew (deceased)

  • Beatrice (deceased)

  With Avrielle

  • Sophia (with Nathaniel du Rennic)

  • Stephen (with Nathaniel du Rennic)

  • Sorcha(with Nathaniel du Rennic)

  • Jeremy

  • Nathaniel

  • Alexander

  • Seraphina

  • Jordan

  Troy (Scott’s twin) – (Wife #1 Lady Helene de Norville, has issue. Wife #2 Lady Rhoswyn Kerr, has issue)

  With Helene

  • Andreas

  • Acacia (deceased)

  • Arista (deceased)

  With Rhoswyn

  • Gareth

  • Corey

  • Reed

  • Tavin

  • Tristan

  • Elsbeth

  • Madeleine

  Patrick – (Married to Lady Brighton de Favereux, has issue)

  • Markus

  • Cassius

  • Magnus

  • Titus

  • Thora

  • Kristiana

  James – (Wife #1 Lady Rose Hage, has issue. Wife #2, Asmara ap Cader, has issue)

  With Rose

  • Ronan

  • Isabella

  With Asmara (as Blayth)

  • Maddoc

  • Bowen

  • Caius

  • Garreth (known as Gar)

  Katheryn (James’ twin) – (Married to Sir Alec Hage, has issue)

  • Edward

  • Axel

  • Christoph

  • Kieran

  • Christian

  Evelyn – (Married to Sir Hector de Norville, has issue)

  • Atreus

  • Hermes

  • Lisbet

  • Adele

  • Aline

  • Lesander (goes by Zander)

  Baby de Wolfe – (Died same day. Christened Madeleine)

  Edward – (Married to Lady Cassiopeia de Norville, has issue)

  • Helene

  • Phoebe

  • Hestia

  • Asteria

  • Leonidas

  • Dorian

  • Dayne

  • Stephan

  • Pallas

  Thomas – (Married Lady Maitland “Mae” de Ryes Bowlin, has issue)

  • Artus (adopted)

  • Nora (adopted)

  • Phin (adopted)

  • Marybelle (adopted)

  • Renard & Roland (adopted)

  • Dyana (adopted)

  • Alexander

  • Cabot

  • Matthew

  • Wade

  • Tacey

  • Morgana

  Penelope – (Married to Bhrodi de Shera, Earl of Coventry, hereditary King of Anglesey)

  • William

  • Perri

  • B
owen

  • Dai

  • Catrin

  • Morgana

  • Maddock

  • Anthea

  • Talan

  Kieran and Jemma Scott Hage

  Total Children: 8

  Total Grandchildren: 27

  Mary Alys (Adopted) – (Married, has issue)

  • Geoffrey

  • Gregory

  Baby Hage – (Died same day. Christened Bridget)

  Alec – (Married to Lady Katheryn de Wolfe, has issue)

  • Edward

  • Axel

  • Christoph

  • Eric

  • Christian

  Christian – (Died Holy Land 1269 A.D., no issue)

  Moira – (Married to Sir Apollo de Norville, has issue)

  • Ares

  • Perseus

  • Selene

  • Rhea

  • Orion

  Kevin – (Married to Lady Annavieve de Ferrers, has issue)

  • Kieran

  • Catrina

  • Lennox

  • Barrett

  Rose – (Married to Sir James de Wolfe, has issue)

  With James de Wolfe

  • Ronan

  • Isabella

  With Devlin “Dev” le Mon

  • Simon

  • James

  • Luke

  • Matthew

  • Eleanor

  Nathaniel – (Married to Lady Wynn St. Hever, has issue)

  • Bryn

  • Rhoslyn

  • Taran

  • Rhys

  Paris and Caladora Scott de Norville

  Total Children: 6

  Total Grandchildren: 31 (including 4 deceased)

  Hector – (Married to Lady Evelyn de Wolfe, has issue)

  • Atreus

  • Hermes

  • Lisbet

  • Adele

  • Aline

  • Lesander (goes by Zander)

  Apollo – (Married to Lady Moira Hage, has issue)

  • Ares

  • Perseus

  • Selene

  • Rhea

  • Orion

  Helene – (Married to Sir Troy de Wolfe, has issue) Deceased

  • Andreas

  • Acacia (deceased)

  • Arista (deceased)

  Athena – (Married to Sir Scott de Wolfe, has issue) Deceased

  • William

  • Thomas

  • Andrew (deceased)

  • Beatrice (deceased)

  Adonis – (Married to Lady Wesleigh de Lara, has issue)

  • Angelia

  • Talos

  • Paris

  • Ajax

  Cassiopeia – (Married to Sir Edward de Wolfe, has issue)