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| The Bride |
This third in the Brides
trilogy (Heartbreak Creek, Colorado Dawn
and Bride of the High Country), is set
in 1870 in New York and Heartbreak Creek, Colorado Territory. Lucinda Hathaway,
the heroine, was a character in the first two books—one of the “brides.” This fact
also presented a problem for Warner in telling Lucinda’s story because we’ve
already seen her in Heartbreak Creek when her tale actually begins in New York in
1855. So there’s a bit of backtracking to cover ground covered before.
Lucinda was only twelve and
an Irish orphan, saved from a life of prostitution by a priest who placed her
in the home of a wealthy widow, Mrs. Throckmorton (an endearing character).
There she was given a new and very proper name, Margaret Hamilton, and taught
to behave like a distant relation of her benefactor (who would tolerate no
Irish).
Fifteen years later, against
the wishes of Mrs. Throckmorton, Margaret (aka Lucinda) decides to wed Irishman
Doyle Kerrigan, a wealthy railroad investor who wants to leave all things “Irish”
behind and join society. To do that, Doyle wants the kind of well-born young
lady like Margaret. But Margaret has never forgotten her roots or that she is
really Cathleen Donovan—an orphan from the Irish slums. (Got that? Our heroine
has three names.) When, at their wedding, she suddenly discovers that Doyle was
a “runner,” one who preyed on his fellow Irishmen, like her father, she runs
from the wedding reception. Doyle sets his partner Tait Rylander on her trail
telling him to look west. Tait is an ex-bare knuckled boxer and a brilliant man
turned entrepreneur who owes Doyle for having saved his life. Tait has secretly
admired and desired Margaret for over a year. Lucinda and Tait end up on the
same train traveling west. Once he finds her, Tait tries to do the noble thing
and bring her back to his partner. Of course, she won’t go back and insists she
is now “Lucinda.”
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| The Bride's Man |
This installment in the
trilogy understandably overlaps with the first two books, even having some shared
dialog in places. But still, this is very much Lucinda and Tait’s story and it
is a joy. As with all Warner’s stories, it is well written with dry wit, intrigue,
and action as Doyle hunts his errant bride and Tait is wounded and unable to
protect Lucinda from her past. Tait and Lucinda are separated as Lucinda
pursues her life alone in Heartbreak Creek—and finds the family she always
longed for (much of that occurred in the first two books). Of all the three
brides, Lucinda is the most wily, the most intelligent and the most streetwise.
I loved that Tait accepted her just as she was, though her love of argument
exasperated him at times.
At the end there is a
touching scene with Thomas and Pru from the earlier books. I wanted to know
more about the time Pru was captured by the Indian Lone Tree, but I guess that
will have to wait for a later book. Which brings me to a last point. If you liked this trilogy, you’ll want to see how it ends in
the Heroes of Heartbreak Creek
trilogy that comes next, starting with Behind
His Blue Eyes. It’s on my to read list!
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