Devlin Culhane is a rebel who leads the wretched band of McQuade’s Tannery workers in founding a labor union to fight for their most basic rights. The union comes before all else—even his love for Mary Kathleen.
Edward Dennison has devised a Machiavellian scheme to wrest away the McQuade wealth while crushing the striking workers beneath his heel—and stealing everything from Mary Kathleen in his madness.
With two desperate men pitted against one another, there are bound to be casualties—including her own heart. Can Mary Kathleen stop this blood bath before it goes too far? Seizing her destiny with fierce determination, she sets out to restore the financial empire that is hers alone. But can Devlin Culhane give Mary Kathleen her heart’s desire—an EVERLASTING SPRING—before Dennison sees him dead?
Originally published as A Woman of Chicago.
EXCERPT
Victoria
straightened under Danforth’s steady scrutiny, willing herself to ignore the
pain that racked the battered flesh on her shoulders and across her abdomen. “I
won’t leave, Karl.” She held her head erect, her chin tilted defiantly, almost
as if she were daring him to strike out at her again. “This is my home and I
have no intention of leaving it—or leaving my son.”
Danforth
laughed coarsely, as if someone had told him a particularly ribald joke.
Breaking off, he turned, his face ashen. “You are no longer fit to live in this
house, Victoria.”
The
bitter denouncement stung. Until now she had managed to keep her private and
public lives separate. She had been no less discreet than her spouse. “What
I’ve done is no worse than the things you have done, Karl. Nowhere will you
find one set of Commandments for women and another set for men.”
Her
blasphemy offended him. He raised his hand to strike her, catching himself when
he saw something deep in her eyes that stopped him. He realized she really did
not care that there might be a scandal.
“You’ll
go to Europe, Victoria.” He smiled then, something ominous in the grimace.
“You’ll go,” he repeated, “or I’ll swear in court that Charles is your bastard
child and that you’ve deceived me—and the boy—from the very beginning…”
