Sister...uh...Abigail. She goes to the city to live with a distant relation and get an education. While there, she falls in love with a not-so-rich clerk and tells her father her wish to marry him. Being the nasty father he is, he refuses to allow them to marry. But, their love will not be denied and with the help of the distant relation, they marry in secret. He, being poor, of course cannot afford to keep her, so they take what little pleasures they can until she has to go back home since her time in the city is finished.
When she gets home, she is so digusted with her father's prejudice against the poor that she moves out and lives on her own in a house that some other distant relation left her. The clerk, by this time, has been working hard and moving up in the company. He is getting more pay and investing wisely. He comes to visit her in her house in secret every chance he gets.
They make plans that when the time comes, he will arrive in town all rich and wonderful and start courting her all proper. Then, they would marry again, this time with her father's blessing.
Kate's father is murdered and it slowly comes to light that there is a serial killer on the loose. Of course. So, uh...Dominic is fearful for Abigail's life and they up the date of the scheduled courtship and marriage so Dominic can watch after her in these trying times. Only problem is, the town is now very wary of strangers. In comes the detectives and I think Sean might be some sort of law officer.
Dominic, for lack of suspense and conflict, gets incriminated and they blame him. Lo and behold, the only way Dominic can prove his innocence is that on the night(s) of the murder(s), he was spending his time at Abby's. Of course, being all noble and shit, he's not going to do that. Ruin her reputation or expose their deception or both or any combination of the above.
Abby takes the choice from him and tell everyone why he cannot be the serial killer. They're still looking for him and Sean's ex-girlfriend is the only girl who has survived the murderer. She's been scarred for life and has taken off for parts unknown. So, I just created that at this minute and I think that is going to make this book the middle story. For sure. And it has helped me finish (or start) Sean's weak-ass story that I haven't been able to do much with up to now.