Sean McCarthy is introduced climbing in Kate Fensters window. He had been courting Kate but she had been making him jump through hoops trying to prove he loved her and was not just after her dowry. Sean wanted things settled and figured this should do it. He was fairly confident she loved him enough to forgive him. Things work just as he expect and they are married on the 12th day of Christmas (Epiphany for those who don't know). That evening he learns his 12 year old sister, who he had left in Ireland, desperately needs him and so takes off that night, making sure the dowry papers tranferring all Kate's assets are signed over to him. He finds things very dour indeed for his sister. He then proceeds to send his cousin back to England with a letter for his wife for 5 years. After which time he starts divorce proceedings on alienation of affection using his cousin as proof. Kate has had enough, doesn't want the divorce, and sailed to Ireland to state her case. She has undeniable proof that she has been untouched and thinks to sway her errant husband into giving their marriage a try. Meanwhile he has changed somewhat into a harder, more stubborn, man and continues to push Kate away. This stays the pattern all through the rest of the book.
By the time we reach the end in which Kate almost pays the ultimate price, partly to shield Sean and his activities, I pretty much wish she could have been with someone else. I didn't feel Sean really deserved Kate. We get introduced to Sean's uncle who plays a role in giving Sean a lot of input, especially in the beginning. While his attitude is very realistic for the time and place he was very annoying to me. I did not even want to hear anything from his character after the first few times we did hear from him. In the end I cannot recomend this book but if you do try it, as everyone gets something different out of a book, maybe you will enjoy it more than I did. 
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Use the talents you have, for the woods would by silent if no birds sang except the best. (from a flip inspiration book-'Thoughts for my daughter')
