The Bracelet

A
CCLAIM FOR
D
OROTHY
L
OVE

“Dorothy Love writes with such rhythm and grace. Her attention to historical detail creates the perfect setting for characters we swiftly grow to love and cheer for.
The Bracelet
is a jewel of a story.”

—T
AMERA
A
LEXANDER
,
USA T
ODAY
BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
T
O
W
HISPER
H
ER
N
AME
AND
A L
ASTING
I
MPRESSION

“
The Bracelet
by Dorothy Love was a fascinating and exciting antebellum novel that kept me flipping pages way into the night. I loved the insight into events that triggered the war, and Love’s writing is beautiful and evocative. Highly recommended!”

—C
OLLEEN
C
OBLE
,
AUTHOR OF
S
EAGRASS
P
IER
AND THE
H
OPE
B
EACH SERIES

“
The Bracelet
is the perfect blend of mystery, history, and the quest for love and truth. A great read for not only lovers of period fiction, but for anyone who hungers for a well-told story.”

—S
USAN
M
EISSNER
,
AUTHOR OF
A
FALL OF
M
ARIGOLDS

“With a country on the brink of war and her own future uncertain, Celia Browning’s faith will be tested and her very life put in jeopardy by the mystery of the bracelet. In a novel inspired by actual events, Dorothy Love artfully recreates the lavish world of power and prestige in 1850s Savannah with unforgettable characters and the attention to historical detail her readers have come to expect. Vivid and entrancing . . . I was swept away!”

—K
RISTY
C
AMBRON
,
AUTHOR OF
T
HE
B
UTTERFLY AND
T
HE
V
IOLIN
AND
A S
PARROW IN
T
EREZIN

“Subtle and suspenseful with exquisite descriptions of antebellum Savannah, Georgia, and a tender love-story to boot, Dorothy Love’s
The Bracelet
takes the reader on a chilling journey into the mysteries surrounding one of Savannah’s most prominent families during the days before the Civil War. Love’s careful research and poignant prose provide a story that will delight fans of historical fiction.”

—E
LIZABETH
M
USSER
,
NOVELIST
,
T
HE
S
WAN
H
OUSE
,
T
HE
S
WEETEST
T
HING
, T
HE
S
ECRETS OF THE
C
ROSS
T
RILOGY

“Vivid and romantic . . . recommended for fans of
Gone With the Wind
.”

—
L
IBRARY
J
OURNAL
ON
C
AROLINA
G
OLD

“Beautifully portrays an independent Southern woman . . . Pitch perfect . . . A memorable book.”

—H
ISTORICAL
N
OVELS
R
EVIEW ON
C
AROLINA
G
OLD

“A beautifully written Southern historical that should appeal equally to Christian and secular readers alike.”

—
R
EADING THE
P
AST
ON
C
AROLINA
G
OLD

“
Every Perfect Gift
is certainly a gift to readers.”

—
P
UBLISHERS
W
EEKLY

“Romance and a strong sense of place recommend Love’s delightful Southern-flavored historical.”

—
L
IBRARY
J
OURNAL
ON
E
VERY
P
ERFECT
G
IFT

“Romance, mystery, and intrigue . . . Love gives readers even more than they expect . . .”

—
R
OMANTIC
T
IMES
R
EVIEWS ON
E
VERY
P
ERFECT
G
IFT

“Love’s amazing historical has all the elements readers expect . . . Romance, mystery, and characters who want more out of their lives.”

—
R
OMANTIC
T
IMES
R
EVIEWS ON
B
EAUTY FOR
A
SHES

“With well-drawn characters and just enough suspense to keep the pages turning, this winning debut will be a hit . . .”

—
L
IBRARY
J
OURNAL
,
S
TARRED REVIEW FOR
B
EYOND
A
LL
M
EASURE

O
THER BOOKS BY DOROTHY LOVE

A Proper Marriage
(e-novella only)

Carolina Gold

T
HE
H
ICKORY
R
IDGE NOVELS

Beyond All Measure

Beauty for Ashes

Every Perfect Gift

© 2014 by Dorothy Love

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].

Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

ISBN 978-1-4016-8763-2 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Love, Dorothy, 1949–

The bracelet / Dorothy Love.

pages ; cm

ISBN 978-1-4016-8760-1 (softcover)

1. Family secrets—Fiction. 2. Savannah (Ga.)—History—19th century—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3562.O8387B73 2014

813'.54—dc23

2014024002

14 15 16 17 18 19 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

F
OR
D
AISY
H
UTTON

C
ONTENTS

PROLOGUE