She had the darkest of pasts. And he had everything to lose
by loving her. Laura Foster, free from the bondage of an
unspeakable childhood, has struggled to make a new life for
herself. Now the owner of an elegant boardinghouse in Glory,
Texas, she is known as a wealthy, respectable widow. But
Laura never forgets that she is always just one step ahead
of her past. When Reverend Brand McCormick comes calling,
Laura does all she can to discourage him as a suitor. She
knows that if her past were discovered, Brand's reputation
would be ruined. But it's not only Laura's past that
threatens to bring Brand down---it's also his own. When a
stranger in town threatens to reveal too many secrets, Laura
is faced with a heartbreaking choice: Should she leave Glory
forever and save Brand's future? Or is it worth risking his
name---and her heart---by telling him the truth?
Japan, 1701. A woman is brutally attacked within a bamboo
prison as clouds swirl around her head. Meanwhile, at Edo
Castle, samurai detective turned chamberlain Sano Ichiro is
suspicious of his old rival, Yanagisawa, who has been oddly
cooperative since returning from exile.
But just as Yanagisawa’s true motives begin to emerge,
Sano’s estranged uncle comes to him for help: His daughter
has disappeared, and he begs Sano and his wife—who once
suffered through the kidnapping of their own son—to find her
before it is too late.