Harlequin Historical #177 Web of Loving Lies

The indescretion of a coming 18 year old daughter, who is silly and self-centered [throughout the whole story] and her younger sister, barely 16 who tries to cover for her sister causes mother, Suzanna and father, Brandt Cadwalder to leave New Orleans and head out for the Nebraska frontier. Papa, Brandt, who killed the man that would have seduced his wayward daughter, Melisue, sent the Indian scout James Thomas to escourt his family and servants to their new home. Melisue is voluptuous, beautiful and always trying to get her own way. A bit of a pervaricater! No man could ever prefer another female over her. While on the journey [grin - Melisue thinks the wagonmaster was one of the seducers]James Thomas is shot and Beth Ann spends time with him, reading and talking as only an innocent child could. Beth Ann takes over the job of jollying her sister and helping Rachel Bright to look after her mother who is showing the strain of the journey. James Thomas has plans to leave Fort Kearney and head to Montana to set up a trading post of his own. He will scout for one more wagon train and then he is gone, suddenly knowing that he is leaving his heart with Beth Ann Cadwalder. Yeah, well, Melisue is up to her old tricks, she meets a friend of James Thomas, the Indian, Black Hawk [more than once]. Brandt and James Thomas are trying their darndest to negotiate a peace treaty with the Indians. In trying to save Black Hawk's life and her own reputation, Melisue forces James Thomas into an engagement [she has since learned that he is of the Montgomery family of Virginia - just no money left after the war]. The engagement just about breaks Beth Ann's heart, she takes a chill and is not aware of James Thomas leaving the Fort. He leaves her with his grandmother's ring. Time passes and mama's illness turns out to be a pregnancy and a son is born. Suzanna was 15 when she married Brandt - so she must be in her thirties now. Beth Ann is entranced with her baby brother and is adjusting well to the frontier life and has developed into a duplicate beauty of her sister. Well you have to read on from here to see how she maneuvers into position of going to Montana with Rachel Bright [now pay attention - Rachel Bright is the daughter of Suzanna's grandfather - they were raised together and educated similarly] I think that Suzanna is aware of the relationship but not her daughters. Melisue would be just too snobbish and Beth Ann really couldn't care less. You just have to see how Beth Ann gets her life mixed up and actually Melisue tries to come to her rescue [:-) and who they end up married to. Oh, I forgot about the obnoxious traveling preacher. What a jolly story. And Rachel Bright and the mountainman, Caleb. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -- great read - couldn't put it down!