Blythe gazed into his eyes. It seemed as if she were looking into his very soul. Could she read genuine repentance there . . . or just regret that he had brought shame to himself, disgraced his family? Suddenly, she knew. This was the real Malcolm — before the War, before Rose died, before his life became a wasteland. She saw the Malcolm who remained uncorrupted — gentle, intelligent, gallant before tragedy and loss took their bitter toll. Could she help reclaim that man — whole, healthy, with renewed vigor and pride in himself and his heritage? Hope stirred in Blythe's heart. Yes! Yes, with God's help, she could. In 1870, Blythe Dorman, the high-spirited daughter of a prosperous Western rancher, falls hopelessly in love with a mysterious stranger — Malcolm Montrose, a man scarred with tragedy and defeat. A Virginian who has come to California gold fields in the hope of recouping his family fortune, Malcolm again meets with misfortune and disappointment. As part of a secret bargain made with her dying father, Malcolm takes Blythe as his bride back to his Virginian home, where instead of the happiness she anticipated, Blythe finds only disillusionment and loneliness. The unselfish commitment and undiscouragable love that Blythe expends in her gallant struggles to heal a star-crossed marriage frame the poignant plot of Gallant Bride.
