| Ariana, a sixteen year old schoolteacher, had lost her parents during an Indian raid and was adopted and raised by a loving couple, the Bensons. Ariana has her birth mother's wedding dress that she hopes to use for her own wedding someday, a beautiful gown adorned with Spanish lace.
One day, Ariana is kidnapped by a group of thieves and taken to their camp. Laramie, the leader's son, is assigned to guard her. Although Laramie has lived among bandits all his life, he doesn't enjoy this life and appears to have conscience. He feels compassion towards Ariana, so he escapes with her from the camp. They head to Montana, and fall in love during the long journey. But Laramie is ashamed of his past and thinks that he doesn't deserve Ariana. He leaves, promising to come back when he sorts out his life. As he goes back to the camp, he finds out that he is not really the chief's son, he was found and raised by him. Now certain that he doesn't belong among the outlaws, Laramie comes back. He and Ariana decide to get married. She shows him her mother's wedding gown that she intends to wear. There is only one problem with it: one of the laced cuffs is missing, and it is impossible to replace it because it is very rare Spanish lace. Laramie says that he thinks he saw similar lace in his mother's box that he has retrieved from the bandit's camp. As he brings it, they discover that it is not just similar lace, it's the missing cuff. Which means that Laramie and Ariana are a brother and sister. Stunned, they accept the news and try to suppress their romantic feelings towards each other and learn to be buddies – only to find out later that, after all, they are not related and therefore can get married. | ||
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Plot & Themes Time/era of story Forbidden/mismatched love? Yes How mismatched? Main Male Character Profession/status: Age/status: - 20's-30's Main Female Character - a teen Profession/status: Setting Small town? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment What % of story is romance related? - 70% |
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