Ladybird

The Thief-taker: Thief-taker, Hunter Chase, wants nothing more than to rid himself of the demons in his head regarding his dark and difficult past. Now, as guardian of his unruly thirteen-year-old nephew, he finds his problems quickly mounting. He's never been a father and doesn't know how to keep the boy from going down the wrong path like he did. What he needs is a woman's guiding touch. Unfortunately, the type of women he meets through his line of work are anything but a good example. Then, a mysterious woman arrives at his door one day, wanting to hire him to track down a thief that is thought to be inside the walls of Shrewsbury Castle. With ties to the castle, Hunter doesn't want the job. It will only remind him of his past. However, it is hard to say no when the woman at his door is beautiful, smart, and highly spirited. He quickly finds himself intrigued and attracted to her and also accepting the job. The Falconer: Lady Regina Blake's birds of prey have always been of the utmost importance in her life. She's pushed aside any thoughts of a noble marriage, not wanting to be naught but a mere convenience to assure an alliance that holds no love. Delving into her training with her birds of prey, she's thankfully managed to avoid a betrothal of any kind. But when a thief infiltrates the castle walls, her father and brother decide to bring in a common thief-taker to catch him. Hunter Chase will be in disguise, and working with her in the mews. She hates the idea until she realizes Hunter isn't haughty and pompous like most noblemen. Instead, he is caring, handsome, and funny. This commoner can make her smile like no man ever could. Regina foolishly lets down her guard since he is no threat to her future. Or so she thinks, until she realizes she is quickly falling in love.