The Marriage Contract (23 page)

Authors: Cathy Maxwell

BOOK: The Marriage Contract

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“That’s how I feel about Brenn,” Tess said.

“And I about Devon,” Leah agreed.

For a moment the three friends sat in happy silence. Then Tess stood and spread out her arms, offering her hands. “Come on.”

Leah and Anne both rose and clasped hands to make a circle.

“The Welsh believe in fairy rings,” Tess told them. “They say there is powerful magic in their center. We’ve formed a ring of friendship and I think the magic here is more potent than any fairy could imagine. Don’t you?”

“Yes,” Anne and Leah said at the same time.

“Friends?” Tess asked.

“Always,” Anne answered.

“Forever,” Leah declared.

And so they were.

Afterword

“Family Vow Satisfied.” The Caithness Crier, 21 June 1999, sec. C: 1

Very special Canadian friends Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Gunn and children will be joining the earl and countess Tiebauld for the opening ceremonies of the first Scottish Parliament. But this is more than an ordinary visit.

Almost two hundred years ago, Mr. Gunn’s ancestor Deacon Gunn emigrated with members of his clan to Canada. They settled on land deeded to them by the then earl Tiebauld, where over the years the Gunn family fortunes have been very successful. However, no member of the Gunn family has set foot in Scotland since 1815.

Reached in his Toronto office last Thursday, Alexander Gunn told this reporter, “Deacon Gunn was driven from Scotland by the Clearances. He vowed neither he nor his descen
dants would set foot on Scottish soil until our right to govern ourselves was recognized. It has been a long time in coming, but no member of my family would miss the opening of the first Scottish Parliament convened in three hundred years. We are looking forward to the trip to Caithness.”

During the Royal Opening Ceremony, the Queen will honor Lord Tiebauld for the role his family played in making this historic event a reality. Lord Tiebauld has promised to join the First Minister’s aggressive legislative programme, including a bill to abolish the feudal system of land tenure. He is quoted as saying, “We must provide a better balance between public and private interests. I support the First Minister in his desire to find Scottish solutions to the problems we face as a country.”

About the Author

Romantic Times
magazine claims CATHY MAXWELL is “…an author who understands the human heart and whose stories touch our souls.” To that end, she spends hours sitting in front of her computer wondering, “Why do people fall in love?” The question remains for her the great mystery of life and the secret to happiness.

She lives in Virginia with her three children and her husband, Kevin, who drives her crazy in all the very best ways.

Fans can find Cathy’s web page at:
www.booktalk.com/cmaxwell

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

Books by
Cathy Maxwell

T
HE
P
RICE OF
I
NDISCRETION

T
EMPTATION OF A
P
ROPER
G
OVERNESS

T
HE
S
EDUCTION OF AN
E
NGLISH
L
ADY

A
DVENTURES OF A
S
COTTISH
H
EIRESS

T
HE
W
EDDING
W
AGER

T
HE
L
ADY IS
T
EMPTED

T
HE
M
ARRIAGE
C
ONTRACT

A S
CANDALOUS
M
ARRIAGE

M
ARRIED IN
H
ASTE

B
ECAUSE OF
Y
OU

W
HEN
D
REAMS
C
OME
T
RUE

F
ALLING IN
L
OVE
A
GAIN

Y
OU AND
N
O
O
THER

T
REASURED
V
OWS

A
LL
T
HINGS
B
EAUTIFUL

Copyright

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT
. Copyright © 2006 by Cathy Maxwell. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Mobipocket Reader November 2006 ISBN 0-06-121221-0

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