Harsh Is The Fate

After the Civil War, Philip Creighton returns to Creightons Crossroads a changed man. Still grieving Carolines loss, he wishes nothing more than to settle into a peaceful existence. But can he? Given the rumors circulating about his scandalous involvement with Caroline, he faces a backlash of moral outrage not only from his family but the entire town.


Philips other wish is realized when he learns his divorce from is about to become final. But his life is soon shattered by a shocking murder from an unexpected source, an event that changes the direction of his life. It is then he decides its time to bring his illegitimate son to Crossroads. His familys predictable reaction to this is indignation mingled with jealousy that his bastard child is now the Creighton heir, so they set out to make Philips life miserable. After a lengthy trip abroad to recover from the trauma of the murder trial, Philip immerses himself in the family businesses and the construction of an opulent mansion to reinforce his image of powerand to establish Chandlers place in Crossroads society.


On Christmas Eve 1867, his familys last cruel act toward his two year old son drives Philip over the edge, forcing him to acknowledge at last that returning to Crossroads has been nothing but a disaster. With a dramatic flourish before abandoning his past, Philip unleashes a bombshell that stuns the entire town, sending the message that, like his father, Philip knows how to repay.