John Fitzhugh Wyckerly (Fitz, to his friends) has supported
himself for years using his wits and well-honed card
skills. Suddenly saddled with his family's vast estates, and
an even vaster mountain of debts, he finds himself in need
of much more money than can be won at the tables. Tempting
as it is to simply fake his death and allow Cousin Geoff to
inherit, he has a greater responsibility these days in the
form of the small, grubby result of a youthful indiscretion.
He hopes to raise her with pride in the family name; or at
least raise her with love of family. He decides he needs a
wife. The wealthy daughter of a London merchant would do
nicely, as long as she came with a huge dowry and wouldn't
mind a ready-made daughter.
Abigail Merriweather wasn't well dowered, or, indeed,
dowered at all; but she was in need of a man. After the
death of her father, she was left to raise her four half-
siblings on her own until the courts decided they lacked
male influence. They removed them from Abigail's care to
place them with wealthy strangers, leaving her heartbroken.
Abigail will seek any method to bring home those she loves.
Marriage to a responsible, clever solicitor would do nicely
as a start.
Patricia Rice has given the "Wicked Wykerly" and Abigail a
huge challenge to overcome. How is Fitz supposed to woo one
of the plentiful but plain debutantes when his heart lies
with Abigail? But his duty to his daughter and the estate
must come first. On Abigail's part, she cannot deny the
strong attraction Fitz's kindness (and well-honed frame)
holds for her, but the courts would not consider a card
sharp as a guiding influence for her brood of children, and
they must take precedence to her own happiness. The journey
taken to untangle all the impediments to their shared future
makes this a solid entry in this first of the Rebellious
Sons series. Spiced with Rice's deft humor and steamy love
scenes, it was a joy and pleasure to read.
When he becomes seventh Earl of Danecroft, rakish John
Fitzhugh Wyckerly also inherits a crumbling estate and
massive debts. Determined to do right, he reclaims his
illegitimate daughter Penelope and heads to London in search
of a very rich wife.
Abigail Merriweather's farm has been quiet since she lost
custody of her four young half-siblings-until a roguish
gentleman named Fitz stops for a rest, his rebellious
daughter in tow. His etiquette is questionable, his
parenting deplorable-so why does Abby delight in his
flirtations? And when she seeks a suitor to help her regain
the children, why does Fitz keep popping up?
The review was very imformative and the story was relayed accurately. This was the first (but definately not the last) book by Patricia Rice that I have read and I'll never miss another of her books. I found this to not only be a "page turner and stay-up-all night" read but the characters were interesting and believable. Everyone makes a mistake at least once in their lives and Patricia resolved the main conflict in an interesting way. (Jeanne Miro 11:40am September 27, 2010)
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