Love's Golden Dream (The Legacy of Eagle Creek) (Volume 1) 2nd edition

Aimee Amelia McKay was an innocent lady of society until she met Marcus Alexander, who told her everything she wanted to hear. Against her father's wishes, Aimee ran away to California with Marcus and wound up an abused, neglected, and battered woman. After managing to hold onto a few of her mother's jewels that Marcus hadn't yet gambled away, Aimee escaped, bought passage on a ship heading to South Carolina via South America. Finally, she would be free but with no place to go, she only hoped she would be able to start a new life far from Marcus' reach. During the voyage, Aimee learned the ship's cargo hold was full of gold from the mines in California, headed to New York. She also met Abram, an elderly Jewish man, whom she befriended. However, that trip would never see New York City. While in he warm gulf waters, the ship ran into a hurricane and began to sink. Only women and children were allowed into the lifeboats but before Aimee was lowered down, Abram thrust his satchel and money belt, both filled with gold, to her. Watching from a distance, the women witnessed the ship sink believing every man left aboard perished. When the survivors arrived in Charleston, Aimee had a plan. She would escape not only the chance of Marcus finding her, she would become someone else completely - someone Marcus would never recognize. Arriving in Sycamore Grove, Aimee settles into life as Mack Kaymey, a wealthy man who lost his family, and with ill health, only wishes to buy a home and remain secluded for the rest of his life. But when a young, Negro boy appears, Mr. Kaymey discovers a camp of run-away slaves living nearby, and sets out to help them. But it seems that no matter how well we cover our tracks, the past and the truth has a way of finding us. Can Mack Kaymey avoid Aimee McKay and her problems forever, or will Love's Golden Dream finally find her in spite of herself?