The Stolen Bride

This story features impetuous and independent de Warenne daughter Eleanor, betrothed to a kind, decent and well-connected Englishman, Peter Sinclair. Unfortunately, her heart still belongs to another: her half-brother and best friend Sean O'Neill, who disappeared from their Irish estate four years ago. Now, with her wedding just days away, Eleanor learns that Sean has been rotting in prison for two years, convicted on charges of treason—and that he's just escaped. Sean's plan is to sail for freedom in America, but he's compelled to return home first, ostensibly to offer his farewells to Eleanor. Things don't turn out quite so simple. Sean realizes that Elle is now a woman and he desires her, he thinks because of his prolonged abstinence. Elle has loved Sean since she was 2 and he 8, when her father married his mother. After having roughly making love to Elle on the floor of her room, Sean tries to distance himself by letting her believe that it was just the sex he wanted; not her. The next day, in her wedding gown, Eleanor flees with Sean because she can't believe he doesn't love her and she wants to "save" Sean from his demons. Eleanor is treated as a conspirator to a fugitive because the investigating british officer believes she went willingly. Her family tries to protect her by publicly indicating that she was taken hostage in hopes she would leave Sean. Eleanor learns that Sean married a widow with a 7 yr old boy because she was pregnant with his baby and he blamed himself for her husbands death in an uprising. He had hidden them away but the devious british officer who was now stalking Sean and Elle, had found Sean and his new family and burned down the village and raped and killed Sean's wife. The officer then made it appear that this was all due to another uprising against the crown instigated by Sean. He was then imprisoned in solitary confinement for 2 years before escaping. Eleanor was devastated by this knowledge because Sean had promised he'd come back to her 4 yrs ago when he left. Their mutual brothers help Sean and Elle to evade the british authorities. Sean realizes as he heals emotionally that he loves Elle and always had. Elle realizes that Sean loves her too, but understands his feeling of responsibility towards the dead woman and her son. Elle promised Peter she'd marry him if his father helped find Sean innocent of treason. On the eve of Peter and Elle's marriage, Sean visits Peter to tell him that he (Sean) loves Elle and that Elle would never truly be Peter's because she returns that love and is going to bear Sean's child. Peter steps aside and Elle & Sean marry and make their home in the village where the 1st uprising occurred. Sean had purchased the village's now-abandoned aristocratic castle and landholdings. It is there that he finds his long-lost, 11 yr old step-son, whom he thought dead and burned up.