The Gentleman Caller
When Garland Lafon, a rich New Orleans banker, offers Jack Waters an opportunity to be trained as his heir, Jack can"t refuse. After three long years in prison, Jack is anxious to begin life again, and the promise of a large inheritance is too good to pass up. The only catch is that he must marry Lafon"s oldest daughter, Rosalie, who"s on the brink of becoming a nun. But Jack is determined to convince the beautiful young woman that marriage to him is a far better bargain than a nun"s cloister, and as he courts Rosalie, they discover emotional depths in each other that are unexpected. Having both been badly damaged in the past, the two are wary of further hurt. Yet despite their differences, and sometimes because of them, these two wonderful people reach out and grow ever closer. But soon a terrible secret threatens to tear the fragile fabric of their newly found feelings, and the pair find themselves battling the pains of the past and the tragedies of the present to save the love of a lifetime. Emotionally intense and rich with the sights, sounds, and heat of New Orleans, The Gentleman Caller is a historical romance of merit and one that will linger in the hearts of readers for years to come. --Lois Faye Dyer