by Jane Peart
At her first sight of Montclair as they rounded the bend of the drive, Avril slipped her hand into her husband’s.
“We’re almost home,” she said softly as their eyes met.
They had left on their wedding trip to England and the Continent in the late spring, waiting for fair weather for the ship’s crossing, and had been away all summer. Now Avril saw that the giant elms lining the drive bore the first tinges of autumn gold; here and there she saw a flash of scarlet where the maples were. They were back in time for Indian summer, that last reprieve before winter, when the sunny days lingered into long afternoons, when the scent of ripening fruit from the orchards mingled with the spicy fragrance of chrysanthemums and purple asters in the still-blooming gardens.
Soon the house came into full view, and Avril sat forward, eager for the carriage to stop, realizing how much she had missed this place.
As part of their honeymoon trip, they had traveled down the Mississippi on a luxurious riverboat. It had been a journey rich with threads of the past interwoven with her new-found happiness.
Visiting the house where she was born, Avril had stepped back into her childhood. She had laid a bouquet of flowers upon the stones bearing her parents’ names, the young couple she scarcely remembered. Everything had seemed strange, even foreign to her. The one constant had been the quiet, loving man who accompanied her. In some ways it had been a disturbing experience, but finally she had said farewell to all that had composed the first ten years of her life.
Now that she was returning to Montclair, Avril was aware that the vague restlessness of which she had always been conscious began to subside. The closer they came to Montclair, the greater her sense of tranquillity and peace.
When the carriage came to a full stop, Graham gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Avril looked at him with shining eyes and confident smile. She belonged to him now and he to her, and it gave her a comforting security she had never known before.
Avril gazed up at the stately mansion before her, poignantly reminded of that lost, lonely, little girl who had stood with the gentle young man years ago just like this. He had held out his hand to her then as he was doing now, offering her his love, care, and protection, and she had placed her small one in his, sensing that with him she would be safe.
That child’s heart has never changed, Avril thought.
Graham took her hand. His long fingers closed around it, their palms touching, and she felt that warm sensation of belonging that was infinitely sweet and familiar.
“Come, my darling, let’s go home.”
Part VII
Epilogue—Entry from Avril’s Journal
Summer 1821
He maketh the barren woman … a joyful mother of children.
—Psalm 113:9
TODAY WE HAVE received news of great sadness. Graham’s Uncle Rowan, his wife Gladney, and their baby daughter have all been lost at sea. Returning from a visit to her parents in Bermuda, their ship encountered a terrible storm and ran aground, taking the lives of all aboard.
Only their little son, Clayborn, who was staying at the home of a schoolmate, survives. A dreadful tragedy.
Graham left immediately to go to North Carolina and fetch the child back here to live with us…. We have been wondering why God has not seen fit to answer our prayer for children these five years. Perhaps, today, he has—
Avril watched from the landing as the tall man and the little boy approached the house. Her thoughts raced back to another day when she had first seen Montclair, clinging to Graham’s hand, as this child was doing.
Deeply touched by his tragedy, so like her own, that had orphaned him at the same tender age, Avril’s heart contracted painfully as the child gazed up at her where she stood in the curve of the stair.
Their eyes met—his, round and dark and filled with anxiety; hers, clear and serene and full of reassurance. Something wordless passed between them at that moment—something they never spoke of afterward nor ever needed to express. Heart to heart, loving spirit to longing need.
Aware of Avril’s presence, Graham called to her. “We’re here, dear. Come down and meet Clayborn.”
Avril lifted her skirts and skimmed lightly down the steps. Holding out both hands to the boy, she said, “Welcome to Montclair, Clayborn. This is your home now.”
Over the dark head Avril looked at Graham, smiling … remembering.
Family Tree
In Scotland
Brothers GAVIN and ROWAN MONTROSE, descendants of the chieftan of the Clan Graham, came to Virginia to build on an original King’s Grant of two thousand acres along the James River. They began to clear, plant, and build upon it.
In 1722, GAVIN’S SON, KENNETH MONTROSE, brought his bride, CLAIR FRASER, from Scotland, and they settled in Williamsburg while their plantation house—“Montclair”—was being planned and built. They had three children: sons KENNETH and DUNCAN, and daughter JANET.
In England
The Barnwell Family
GEORGE BARNWELL first married WINIFRED AINSELY, and they had two sons: GEORGE and WILLIAM. BARNWELL later married a widow, ALICE CARY, who had a daughter, ELEANORA.
ELEANORA married NORBERT MARSH (widower with son, SIMON), and they had a daughter, NORAMARY.
In Virginia
Since the oldest son inherits, GEORGE BARNWELL’S younger son, WILLIAM, came to Virginia, settled in Williamsburg, and started a shipping and importing business.
WILLIAM married ELIZABETH DEAN, and they had four daughters: WINNIE, LAURA, KATE, and SALLY. WILLIAM and ELIZABETH adopted NORAMARY when she was sent to Virginia at twelve years of age.
KENNETH MONTROSE married CLAIR FRASER. They had three children: KENNETH, JANET, and D UNCAN.
DUNCAN married NORAMARY MARSH, and they had three children: CAMERON, ROWAN, and ALAN.
CAMERON MONTROSE married LORABETH WHITAKER, and they had one son, GRAHAM. Later CAMERON married ARDEN SHERWOOD, and they remained childless.
The Saga Continues!
Be sure to read all of the “Brides of Montclair” books, available from your local bookstore:
Valiant Bride
To prevent social embarrassment after their daughter’s elopement, a wealthy Virginia couple forces their ward, Noramary Marsh, to marry Duncan Montrose. Already in love with another, Noramary anguishes over submitting to an arranged marriage.
Ransomed Bride
After fleeing an arranged marriage in England, Lorabeth Whitaker met Cameron Montrose, a Virginia planter. His impending marriage to someone else is already taken for granted. A story of love, conscience, and conflict.
Fortune’s Bride
The story of Avril Dumont, a wealthy young heiress and orphan, who gradually comes to terms with her lonely adolescence. Romance and heartbreak ensue from her seemingly unreturned but undiscourageable love for her widowed guardian, Graham Montrose.
Folly’s Bride
Spoiled and willful Sara Leighton, born with high expectations, encounters personal conflicts with those closest to her. Set in the decades before the War Between the States, the story follows Sara as she comes under the influence of Clayborn Montrose, scion of the Montrose family and Master of Montclair.
More books in this series due soon! Look for Yankee Bride/Rebel Bride: Montclair Divided, Gallant Bride, and Destiny’s Bride.
About the Author
Jane Peart, award-winning novelist and short story writer, grew up in North Carolina and was educated in New England. Although she now lives in northern California, her heart has remained in her native South—its people, its history, and its traditions. With more than 20 novels and 250 short stories to her credit, Jane likes to emphasize in her writing the timeless and recurring themes of family, traditional values, and a sense of place.
Ten years in the writing, the Brides of Montclair series is a historical, family saga of enduring beauty. In each new book, another generation comes into its own at the beautiful Montclair estate, near Williamsburg, Virginia. These compelling,
dramatic stories reaffirm the importance of committed love, loyalty, courage, strength of character, and abiding faith in times of triumph and tragedy, sorrow and joy.
FORTUNE’S BRIDE
Copyright © 1986, 1990 by Jane Peart
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EPub Edition © JANUARY 2011 ISBN: 978-0-310-86549-0
Zondervan Books is an imprint of
The Zondervan Publishing House
1415 Lake Drive, S.E.
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Peart, Jane.
Fortune’s bride/Jane Peart.
p. cm. — (Brides of Montclair series : bk. 3)
ISBN 0-310-66971-5
I. Title. II. Series: Peart, Jane. Brides of Montclair series :
bk. 3.
PS3566.E238F67 1990
613′.54—dc20 89-70768
CIP
Edited by Anne Severance
90 91 92 93 94 95 / LP / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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