Harsh is the Fate

After the Civil War, Philip Creighton returns to Creighton's Crossroads a changed man. Still grieving Caroline's 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.



Philip's other wish is realized when he learns his divorce from Elizabeth 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 it's time to bring his illegitimate son Chandler to Crossroads. His family's predictable reaction to this is indignation mingled with jealousy that his bastard child is now the Creighton heir, so they set out to make Philip's 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 power-and to establish Chandler's place in Crossroads society.



On Christmas Eve 1867, his family's 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.