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Dear Reader,
As a native of Scotland, I have always been drawn to the rugged beauty of the Isle of Skye, and the great history found in this land of churning seas, gentle countryside, ancient castles and local village pubs.
In The Lost Dreams I am thrilled to return to Strathaird Castle and the MacLeod clan. It is here, in this ancient fortress, that American Bradley Ward, caught between inherited responsibilities and new possibilities, must jump from being CEO of a multinational company and learn to become “Lord of the Manor.” Strathaird is also where Charlotte MacLeod must finally face the demons of her past, in order to reclaim her passions and her strength to face the future.
Some of you may already have met the MacLeod family in my previous novel The Stolen Years, which introduced readers to twins Gavin and Angus MacLeod, and to Flora, the woman they both loved. I, too, loved these characters. In fact, they became so dear to me that I had to discover what happened to the next generation of this captivating extended family. I hope you, too, will enjoy sharing their struggles, their secrets, their passions, fears and hopes, and most of all, the lost dreams they had never thought to find.
Happy reading!
Fiona Hood-Stewart
Also by FIONA HOOD-STEWART
THE STOLEN YEARS
THE JOURNEY HOME
SILENT WISHES
The Lost Dreams
Fiona Hood-Stewart
To John with love
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As always, my love and thanks to my sons, Sergio and Diego, for their patience and support. Many thanks to Andrew, Jojo and Francesca Grima for their help in researching the jewelry described in the text. To my sister, Althea Dundas-Beeker for her input on the management of a Scottish estate, and to my editor Miranda Stecyk, and Dianne Moggy.
Into my life you came
When least expected.
Out of the dark
You stole my guarded heart.
Led me by the hand
To new tomorrows,
Showed me love,
Then taught me to impart.
Gone are the tears of yesterday,
The sorrows.
Shed, the lingering shadows,
Gone the pain.
Now, in their stead
The flame of your love lingers,
Wonder, light and joy
Their newfound name.
Dream a little dream
And let it wander.
Dare to listen
Deep inside your soul.
Breathe love’s tender joys
And heartfelt treasures—
Can’t lose the dream
When now, at last, it’s known.
F.H.S.
Contents
1
Did he feel anything? Charlotte Drummond wondered, gazing at the thin, waxlike body lying perfectly still under pressed white sheets. Was it possible that, despite medical evidence to the contrary, the seemingly lifeless man before her somehow sensed her presence?
She shuddered, took a deep breath, and quickly shifted her gaze to the sterile hospital wall, then reached out blindly to pull the gray plastic chair back from the side of the metal bed and sat down
