Mary Queen of Scots may reign, but villainous plotters have designs on her throne... As handmaid to Mary Queen of Scots, heiress Libby Preston is in the perfect place to meet an eligible lord and make an advantageous marriage. But Libby is from the Borders of Scotland, where life is hard and lawless men run rampant. And this Borders lass has a terrible secret - a secret that would ruin her reputation and her chances of a suitable match, should it ever come to light... French physician Robert Nau has come to Scotland to seek his fortune and work for the ageing ambassador in Edinburgh. He has no intention of falling in love - until he meets Libby Preston, a rich gentlewoman who is too highborn to consider man from his lowly background. But his heart yearns for her, even if their love is fated never to be. When the queen falls mortally ill, Robert is sucked into the dramas and dangers of the Scottish court. Surrounded by ambitious men who seek their own advancement no matter the cost - even if that cost is regicide - he fights to heal the queen of a mystery ailment. Working alongside Robert as the queen's fever worsens and she slips into unconsciousness, Libby finds it hard to deny her growing attraction to the handsome doctor. But she is destined to marry a Scottish lord, not a Frenchman from the slums of Paris. Theirs is a match that can never be, a love beyond reach... :: Set in Mary Queen of Scots' lawless Borderlands, A Love Beyond is book 2 in the Mary's Ladies Scottish historical romance series, but can also be enjoyed as a stand-alone.