Cashelmara

This was Susan Howatch's second saga novel. It was based on the history of the Plantagenet kings, Edward I, Edward II and Edward III. Howatch lived in Ireland for a time, and set her novel in Ireland after the Famine -. Edward De Salis a baron, and he is a widower of around 60. He owns an estate in England, Woodhammer Hall, but also has an estate in Ireland. He tries to help his Irish tenants, in the aftermath of the Famine and feels guilty that he did not do more for them. He has been depressed since he lost his wife, Eleanor, who had given him several daughters and a son, Patrick. She died some years ago of general ill health. Edward goes to America for a holiday, and meets his distant relatives, the Marriotts. He falls in love with one of the girls, Marguerite, who is only 18. In spite of the age gap, they get married and have 3 more children. Edward's son Patrick, who is his heir, is weak and rather foolish. He wonders if the boy will ever be able to manage his estates and fulfil his social duties. Edward dies, and Patrick (Edward II) inherits. He marries Marguerite's niece from America, Sarah Marriott. Sarah is also rather extravagant and foolish, and before long, their marriage begins to go wrong. Patrick is basically homosexual and he finds it hard to be a husband to Sarah...although they do have 4 children. However, Patrick ends up losing Woodhammer Hall, because he gambles and mismanages his property. They have to sell up. Now their only house is Cashelmara. Patrick becomes friendly with Hugh MacGowan, his Scottish bailiff's son. He had earlier had a close friendship with Derry Stranahan, a young orphan whom Edward had taken in and educated. But Derry was killed by Irish rebels. Now he finds himself falling in love with MacGowan. Sarah is unhappy and angry that Patrick neglects her and has lost a lot of their fortune. She becomes attracted by one of the tenant farmers, Maxwell Drummond, a young Irishman who is married with a family. He is an intelligent man who has had a better education than most of the tenants. Sarah is increasingly scared of Patrick and Hugh McGowan. McGowan has threatened her life, and she decides that she has to go and seek help from her family in America. She manages to persuade Patrick to let her to go America, to see her brother who is a rich man with no heir. Maxwell also sails for America. Sarah seeks refuge with her brother, a wealthy WASP stockbroker. He takes her in but he is not happy when he discovers that Max Drummond is her lover. He tells her he won't allow Drummond to visit... so Sarah goes to live with her lover away from New York. He gets a job as a "hired gun" for some Irish American businessmen. The couple are happy but Sarah wants to go back to her children and get them out of Patrick's and McGowan's clutches, and Drummond wants to go back to Ireland. M/F