Boston gun manufacturer Howard Griffin is dying. With only a few months to live, he worries about what will become of his company, Griffin Manufacturing, which he had hoped would provide a secure future for his young daughter, Violet. To ensure the well-being of them both, he strikes a deal with one of his most trusted employees, Englishman Rule Dewar. Under Griffin’s arrangement, Rule and Violet will each receive half of the company upon Howard’s death, with Rule taking his place as head of the company. In addition, Rule must agree to marry 16 year old Violet immediately, but postpone consummation for a few years, until she is ready to fulfill her role as Rule’s wife. Despite the highly unconventional arrangement, Rule agrees to the terms of the deal and marries Violet before returning to his home in England to open the European branch of the company.
Three years later, back in the States, 19 year old Violet finds she’s in love with another man, even though she is legally married to Rule. She hasn’t heard from Rule in quite some time and feels abandoned and jilted by him. Because their marriage was never consummated, she decides to travel to England to seek an annulment. Rule is surprised when Violet turns up at his doorstep, and the entire Dewar family is stunned to learn that Rule has been secretly married for three years. Violet is convinced an annulment is the best solution but Rule would like to give married life a try. He convinces her to stay in London for one month, living as his wife, before making the decision to end their relationship. He soon discovers how spirited and head-strong his young American wife really is.
Book #3 of Martin’s Bride trilogy is every bit as engaging as the first two. The enterprising Dewar family continues to grow, and now ventures into the new world, with the marriage of Rule and his American bride, Violet. The plot takes a sinister turn when Griffin Manufacturing goes up for sale at the dawn of the Civil War, and greed and deception enter the negotiations. And Violet’s American suitor won’t give her up without a fight either. Enthralling to the very end.
