title: The Crusader's Bride: The Champions of Saint Euphemia Book 1
author:  Claire Delacroix 
description: Bestselling author Claire Delacroix published her first romance novel - a medieval romance called THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE - in 1993. Since then, she has published over forty romance novels and numerous novellas, including time travel romances, contemporary romances and paranormal romances. THE BEAUTY, part of her successful Bride Quest series, was her first book to land on the <i>New York Times</i> list of bestselling books. Claire has written under the name Claire Cross and continues to write as Deborah Cooke as well as Claire Delacroix. Claire makes her home in Canada with her family, a large undisciplined garden and a growing number of incomplete knitting projects.
zlib_text: ![](Images/image00369.jpeg)
  
  **The Seamstress**
  
  A Novel
  
   **Frances de Pontes Peebles**
  
  ![](Images/image00368.jpeg)
  
   _To the women_ —living and dead—  
  _of my family,_ all of them  
  ladies and _guerreiras_
  
    
  
   _And to James,_ who always believed
  
  > > > >  _…rising toward a saint_
  
  > > > >  _still honored in these parts,_
  
  > > > >  _the paper chambers flush and fill with light_
  
  > > > >  _that comes and goes, like hearts…_
  
    
  
  > > > >  _receding, dwindling, solemnly_
  
  > > > >  _and steadily forsaking us,_
  
  > > > >  _or, in the downdraft from a peak,_
  
  > > > >  _suddenly turning dangerous…_
  
    
  
  > > > > > —Elizabeth Bishop, “The Armadillo”
  
   **Contents**
  
   _Epigraph_
  
   _Map_
  
   _Prologue_
  
  _Chapter 1_  
   _Emília_
  
  _Chapter 2_  
   _Luzia_
  
  _Chapter 3_  
   _Emília_
  
  _Chapter 4_  
   _Luzia_
  
  _Chapter 5_  
   _Emília_
  
  _Chapter 6_  
   _Luzia_
  
  _Chapter 7_  
   _Emília_
  
  _Chapter 8_  
   _Luzia_
  
  _Chapter 9_  
   _Emília_
  
  _Chapter 10_  
   _Luzia_
  
  _Chapter 11_  
   _Emília_
  
  _Chapter 12_  
   _Luzia_
  
  _