The Renegade Wife (Children of Empire, #1)

The Renegade Wife kicks off the new Children of the Empire series, companion stories to award-winning author Caroline Warfield's Dangerous series. Raised with all the privilege of the English aristocracy, forged on the edges of the British Empire, men and woman of the early Victorian age seek their own destiny and make their mark on history. The Renegade Wife is the story of healing and a journey home, of choices and the freedom to make them, set in 1832 in Upper Canada and in England. Two hearts betrayed by love... Desperate and afraid, Meggy Blair will do whatever it takes to protect her children. She'd hoped to find sanctuary from her abusive husband with her Ojibwa grandmother, but can't locate her. When her children fall ill, she finds shelter in an isolated cabin in Upper Canada. But when the owner unexpectedly returns, he's furious to find squatters disrupting his self-imposed solitude. Reclusive businessman Rand Wheatly had good reason to put an ocean between himself and the family that deceived him. He just wants the intrusive woman gone, but it isn't long before Meggy and the children start breaking down the defensive walls he's built. But their fragile interlude is shattered when Meggy's husband appears to claim his children, threatening to have Rand jailed. The only way for Meggy to protect Rand is to leave him. But when her husband takes her and the children to England, Meggy discovers he's far more than an abuser; what he's involved in endangers all their lives. To rescue the woman who has stolen his heart, Rand must follow her and do what he swore he'd never do: reconcile with his aristocratic family and finally uncover the truth behind all the lies. But time is running out for them all. Desperate and afraid, Meggy Blair will do whatever it takes to protect her children. She'd hoped to find sanctuary from her abusive husband with her Ojibwa grandmother, but can't locate her. When her children fall ill, she finds shelter in and isolated cabin in Upper Canada. But when the owner unexpectedly returns, he's furious to find squatters disrupting his self-imposed solitude. Reclusive businessman Rand Wheatly had good reason to put an ocean between himself and the family that deceived him. He just wants the intrusive woman gone, but it isn't long before Meggy and the children start breaking down the defensive walls he's built. But their fragile interlude is shattered when Meggy's husband appears to claim his children, threatening to have Rand jailed Betrayal by his cousin and the woman he loved may have made Rand Wheatly crave solitude, but his heart isnt as hard as he likes to pretend. When he discovers that the squatters in his house include sick and injured children, he lets them stay. Meggy Campeau is harboring a secret, but shell do whatever it takes to keep her children safe. It doesnt take long for Rand to see why Meggy is on the run; it takes longer for him to trust. Now shes gone again. And time is running out for him to save them all.