Nearly a spinster at twenty, Fortune Lindley is leaving Scotland to return to her birthplace at Maguire's Ford, a vast Ulster estate that she will inherit only if she marries an Irish Protestant. To that end, Fortune has agreed to consider a match with the Protestant aristocrat William Devers, a man suited to her wealth and status.
But it is the rebellious and disinherited Catholic elder brother, Kiernan Devers, who steals her heart, driving William to a black and murderous fury. While Fortune and Kiernan's forbidden ecstasy explodes, jealousy and intolerance lead to an unthinkable tragedy--and a destiny that will test Fortune's will to survive in a struggle to claim a land, a legacy, and the only love she'll have. . .
Bertrice Small is the author of over twenty-four novels of historical romance. She is a New York Times bestseller, and the recipient of numerous awards. In keeping with her profession, Bertrice Small lives in the oldest English-speaking town in the state of New York, which was founded in 1640. Her light-filled studio is filled with the paintings of her favorite cover artist, Elaine Duillo; a large library; but no computer as she works on an IBM Quietwriter 7, and her long-time assistant, Judy Walker, types the final draft. Because she believes in happy endings, Bertrice Small has been married to the same man, her hero, George, for thirty-six years. They have a son, Thomas, a lovely daughter-in-law, Megan, and two adorable grandchildren, Chandler David and Cora Alexandra. Long-time readers will be happy to know that Nicki the Cockatiel flourishes, along with his cat housemates, Pookie, the long-haired griege and white, and Honeybun, the petite orange with the cream-colored paws.