Pretty Maddy Shillabeer had long resigned herself to the fact that herlot in life was to care for her widowed father and her hard-living, troublesomebrothers. In any case, were she to marry she would have hardly any choiceof suitors since the number of eligible men was limited. One in particular,Cal Whitcomb, a kinsman of hers, could never be considered, as his family,acco Pretty Maddy Shillabeer had long resigned herself to the fact that herlot in life was to care for her widowed father and her hard-living, troublesomebrothers. In any case, were she to marry she would have hardly any choiceof suitors since the number of eligible men was limited. One in particular,Cal Whitcomb, a kinsman of hers, could never be considered, as his family,according to her father, had appropriated the rich Devon land that wasrightfully theirs; instead of farming the Shillabeers had had to turn tosalmon fishing on the River Dart, and they carried a grudge against theWhitcombs for it ever since.One day a new arrival appears at Duncannon – Patrick Howard, who findsemployment as a pot-boy in an inn at nearby Stoke Gabriel. Soon he hassupplanted the ancient Henry Beer as the village fiddler and leader ofthe church band. And, to the great consternation of her brothers, he hascharmed his way into their Maddy’s heart…

Pretty Maddy Shillabeer had long resigned herself to the fact that herlot in life was to care for her widowed father and her hard-living, troublesomebrothers. In any case, were she to marry she would have hardly any choiceof suitors since the number of eligible men was limited. One in particular,Cal Whitcomb, a kinsman of hers, could never be considered, as his family,acco Pretty Maddy Shillabeer had long resigned herself to the fact that herlot in life was to care for her widowed father and her hard-living, troublesomebrothers. In any case, were she to marry she would have hardly any choiceof...  Read More