Gillian Metcalf has just made the smartest or dumbest decision of her life: canceling her wedding to Dr. Jerry Avery two days before the ceremony. Jerry is the kind of man any woman would be proud to call husband: kind, caring, intelligent, funny and a doctor. But he is not the man of Gillian’s dreams, the man that comes to her in dreams, holding her tenderly and saying “Gra mo chroi”.
Gillian’s best friend, Samantha, thinks Gillian has totally lost her mind but agrees to go away with her for a few days and stay on the fabled Queen Mary. They are both amused to discover that they have been given the “haunted” stateroom. Gillian stops being amused when, while unpacking, she spots a small, odd looking dog watching her. She has seen the dog for several days in the strangest places: her 4th grade class room where she teaches, outside her home and even running out in front of her car on the way to the Queen Mary. The dog clearly has a mission that involves Gillian. The dog watches her attentively and barks, almost demanding that Gillian follow her, and then casually walks THROUGH the door! Gillian opens the door, steps through, and finds herself in a strange, moving room with an incredibly handsome man sound asleep on a bed.
Zachery Creighton is worn out from a long poker game. A professional gambler by trade, he is trying to amass enough money to buy his family’s estate, Creighton Manor, lost his by wastrel father. The real pleasure comes from winning money from Cyrus Locke, the man who won the manor in a high-stakes game with Zachery’s father. A sudden noise wakes him up, and he is startled to discover a strange (and strangely dressed) woman in his room. An ensuing struggle brings others rushing to his room, and before things are through, he is forced to marry the stranger to save his reputation and honor. And the woman, Gillian, discovers she has traveled back in time to the 1870s and is in Mississippi. Both Zachery and Gillian must search for answers and make peace with their individual obsessions – Zachery’s desire to own Creighton Manor once again and Gillian’s desire to find the man of her dreams. And what of the ghost dog, Molly?
Creighton Manor is a wonderful blend of improbabilities that weave together seamlessly. The two characters are delightfully muddled about what they feel and what they think they should be feeling. Real life problems intrude in such a way that the issue of being out of place in time becomes a minor annoyance for Gillian. Misunderstandings abound because of pride, and confusion surrounds the pair. This smart, intriguing novel is an enjoyable read, chock full of surprises.
ISBN: 978-1-60767-069-8
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