The MacGregors are among Roberts' most cherished creations and, in response to popular demand, here is patriarch Daniel's own story, along with that of Ian MacGregor, his 18th-century American ancestor.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
An empire. At the time he'd turned fifteen, Daniel MacGregor had promised himself he'd have one, build one, rule one. He always kept his word.
He was thirty years old and working on his second million with the same drive that had earned him his first. As he always had, he used his back, his brains and pure guile in whatever order worked best. When he'd come to America five years before, Daniel had had the money he'd saved by working his way up from miner to head bookkeeper for Hamus McGuire. he'd also brought a shrewd brain and towering ambition.
He could have passed for a king. He topped six four with a build bold enough to suit his height. His size alone had kept him out of a number of fights, just as his size had seduced some men into challenging him. been born poor, Daniel MacGregor money. He used it, wielded it, played equaled power, and power was a In America he found himself in a vast arena of wheeling and dealing. There was New York with its fast pace and hungry streets. A man with brains and nerve could build a fortune there. There was Los Angeles with its glamour and high stakes. A man with imagination could fashion an empire. Daniel had spent time in both, dabbled in business on either coast, but he chose Boston as his base and as his home. It wasn't simply money or power he sought, but style. Boston with its old-world charm, its stubborn dignity and its unapologetic snobbishness suited Daniel perfectly.
he'd come from a long line of warriors who had lived as much by wit as by the sword. His pride in his line was fierce, as fierce as his ambition. Daniel intended to see his line continue with strong sons and daughters. As a man of vision, he had no trouble seeing his grandchildren taking what he'd molded and building on it. There could be no empire without family to share it. To begin one, he needed the proper wife. Acquiring one, to Daniel, was as challenging and as logical as acquiring a prime piece of real estate. he'd come to the Donahues" summer ball to speculate on both.
He hated the tight collar and strangulating tie. When a man was built like a bull, he liked his neck free. His clothes were made in Boston by a tailor on Newbury Street. Daniel used him as much because his size demanded it as for the prestige. Ambition had put him in a suit, but he didn't have to like it. Another man dressed in the elegant black dinner suit and pleated silk shirt would have looked distinguished. Daniel, in either tartan or dress blacks looked flamboyant. He preferred it that way.
Cathleen Donahue, Maxwell Donahue's eldest daughter, preferred it, as well.
"Mr. MacGregor." Fresh out of finishing school in Switzerland, Cathleen knew how to serve tea, embroider silk and flirt elegantly. "I hope you're enjoying our little party."
She had a face like porcelain and hair like flax. Daniel thought it a pity her shoulders were so thin, but he, too, knew how to flirt. "I'm enjoying it more now, Miss Donahue."
Knowing most men were put off by giggles, Cathleen kept her laugh low and smooth. Her taffeta skirts whispered as she positioned herself beside him at the end of the long buffet table. Now, whoever stopped for a taste of truffles or salmon mousse would see them together. If she turned her head just a fraction, she could catch a glimpse of their reflection in one of the long narrow mirrors that lined the wall. She decided she liked what she saw.
"My father tells me you're interested in buying a little piece of cliff he owns in Hyannis Port." She fluttered her lashes twice. "I hope you didn't come here tonight to discuss business."
Daniel slipped two glasses from the tray of a passing waiter. he'd have preferred Scotch in a sturdy glass to champagne in crystal, but a man who didn't adjust in certain areas broke in others. As he drank, he studied Cathleen's face. He knew Maxwell Donahue would no more have discussed business with his daughter than he would have discussed fashion with her, but Daniel didn't fault her for lying. Rather he gave her credit for knowing how to dig out information. But while he admired her for it, it was precisely the reason he didn't consider her proper wife material. His wife would be too busy raising babies to worry about business.
"Business comes second to a lovely woman. Have you been to the cliffs?"
"Of course." She tilted her head so that the diamond flowers in her ears caught the light. "I do prefer the city. Are you attending the Ditmeyers" dinner party next week?"
"If I'm in town."
"So much traveling." Cathleen smiled before she sipped her champagne. She'd be very comfortable with a husband who traveled. "It must be exciting."
"It's business," he said. Then he added, " But you've just returned from Paris yourself."
Flattered that he'd been aware of her absence, Cathleen almost beamed. "Three weeks wasn't enough. Shopping alone took nearly every moment I had. You can't imagine how many tedious hours I spent in fittings for this gown."
He swept his gaze down and up as she'd expected. "I can only say it was well worth it."
"Why, thank you." As she stood, posing, his mind began to drift. He knew women were supposed to be interested mainly in dresses and hairstyles, but he'd have preferred a more stimulating conversation.
Sensing she was losing his attention, Cathleen touched his arm. "You've been to Paris, Mr. MacGregor?"
he'd been to Paris and had seen what war could do to beauty. The pretty blonde smiling up at him would never be touched by war. Why should she be? Still, vaguely dissatisfied, Daniel sipped the dry bubbling wine. "Some years ago." He glanced around at the glitter of jewels, the sparkle of crystal. There was a scent in the air that could only be described as wealth. In five years he'd become accustomed to it, but he hadn't forgotten the smell of coal dust. He never intended to forget it. "I've come to prefer America to Europe. Your father knows how to throw a party."
"I'm glad you approve. You're enjoying the music?, He still missed the wail of bagpipes. The twelve-piece orchestra in white tie was a bit stiff for his taste, but he smiled. "Very much."
"I thought perhaps you weren't." She sent him a slow, melting look from under her lashes. "You aren't dancing."
In a courtly gesture, Daniel took the champagne from Cathleen and set both their glasses down. "Oh, but I am, Miss Donahue," he corrected, and swept her onto the dance floor.
"Cathleen Donahue continues to be obvious." Myra Lornbridge nibbled pâté and sniffed.
"Keep your claws sheathed, Myra." The voice was low and smooth, by nature rather than design.
"I don't mind when a person's rude or calculating or even a bit stupid—" with a sigh, Myra finished off the cracker" —but I do detest it when one is obvious."
"Myra."
"All right, all right." Myra poked at the salmon mousse. "By the way, Anna, I love your dress."
Anna glanced down at the rose-colored silk. "You picked it out."
"I told you I loved it." Myra gave a self-satisfied smile at the way the folds draped over Anna's hips. Very chic. "If you'd pay half the attention to your wardrobe as you do your books, you'd put Cathleen Donahue's nose out of joint."
Anna only smiled and watched the dancers. "I'm not interested in Cathleen's nose."
"Well, it isn't very interesting. How about the man she's dancing with?"
"The red-haired giant?"
"So you noticed."
"I'm not blind." She wondered how soon she could make a dignified exit. She really wanted to go home and read the medical journal Dr. Hewitt had sent her.
"Know who he is?"
"Who?"
"Anna." Patience was a virtue Myra extended only to her closest friends. "Fe fi fo fum."
With a laugh, Anna sipped her wine. "All right, who is he?"
"Daniel Duncan MacGregor." Myra paused a bit, hoping to pique Anna's interest. At twenty-four, Myra was rich and attractive. Beautiful, no. Even at her best, Myra knew she'd never be beautiful. She understood beauty was one route to power. Brains were another.
Myra used her brains. "He's Boston's current boy wonder. If you'd pay more attention to who's who in our cozy little society, you'd recognize the name."
Society, with its games and restrictions, didn't interest Anna in the least. "Why should I? you'll tell me."
"Serve you right if I didn't."
But Anna only smiled and drank again.
"All right, I'll tell you." Gossip was one temptation Myra found impossible to resist. "He's a Scot, which is obvious I suppose from his looks and his name. You should hear him talk, it's like cutting through fog."
At that moment, Daniel let out a big, booming laugh that raised Anna's eyebrows. "That sounds as though it would cut through anything."
"He's a bit rough around the edges, but some people—" she cast a meaningful look at Cathleen Donahue " —believe that a million dollars or so smooths out anything."
Realizing that the man was being weighed and judged by the size of his bank balance, Anna felt a twinge of sympathy. "I hope he knows he's dancing with a viper," Anna murmured.
"He doesn't look stupid. He bought Old Line Savings and Loan six months ago."
"Really." She shrugged. Business only interested Anna when it involved a hospital budget. Sensing the movement to her left, she turned to smile at Herbert Ditmeyer standing with an unfamiliar gentleman, " How are you?"
--This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of MacGregor Lore,
By Wendy Kaplan (Houston) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Macgregors: Daniel-Ian (Mass Market Paperback)
While not as captivating as some of the other books in Nora Roberts' fabulous MacGregor series, this book is important because it provides some history into the MacGregor clan, and lets us see the irrascible patriarch Daniel MacGregor as a young man courting "his Anna."Tall and imposing with a bright red beard, young Daniel MacGregor is already a prominent businessman-about-town when he meets Anna at a soiree. He takes one look at her, and in the way of many MacGregors to come, he knows she is the one for him. But Anna is no easy catch. At a time when women were expected to be quiet and acquiescent, Anna is attending medical school, one of the few of her gender to do so. And she had no time for the brash, very outspoken, often embarrassing Daniel MacGregor. Or so she thinks. Anna and Daniel's courtship changes them both. He learns to be more humble. She learns to be more giving. And so a great dynasty is born. The second story harkens back to a stalwart and brave MacGregor ancestor, Ian, who is fighting for the survival of his beloved Scotland against England in the bloody Culloden wars. This segment is written in the way of all good historical romances, with plenty of adventure thrown in. The battle scenes are particularly good, and we learn just what drove Ian and his beloved bride Serena to America, where the MacGregor clan took permanent root. Along the way, there is plenty of danger for Ian, Serena, their newborn child, and all their family. A good, dashing romance. I would characterize this story as the weakest in the MacGregor series, but very important to those afficionadoes, like me, who want every single tidbit of information about the clan that Roberts is willing to provide.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Macgregors: Daniel-Ian (Mass Market Paperback)
Finally, we have the story we've all been waiting for, that of Daniel and Anna MacGregor. From start to finish, I was absolutely enthralled. I couldn't put it down. We can definitely see where the rest of the MacGregors get their stubborn pride, dignity, will to succeed, and their passion. Daniel and Anna were as amazing then as they are now. It was a little weird for me to picture Daniel so young, but if you really think about it, he's never really aged, not mentally or emotionally. He's still as caring, daring, stubborn and pigheaded as he ever was. Anna is still the strong and willful woman that she was so long ago when she was determined to become a doctor. They are a fantastic couple deserving of their places as heads of the MacGregor clan. Also included in this book is the story of Ian MacGregor dating back to, what I believe to be, the time of the Boston Tea Party. It appears to be the beginning of the storytelling of the MacGregors of the old. The next tale is to be about Ian's aunt, Serena. I can't wait! I recommend THE MACGREGORS DANIEL-IAN and all of the other MacGregor books. You'll love them. Trust me!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Early roots of the MacGregor Series,
By
This review is from: The Macgregors: Daniel-Ian (Mass Market Paperback)
This book relates the story of Daniel and Anna and shows how they met and formed an immediate love/hate connection. Both fiercely independent, they each wanted their own way in life more than they wanted each other. Anna was a woman ahead of her time, studying to be a doctor against the wishes of her parents and the norms of society. Daniel was a consummate businessman, who had begun to build a business empire which would only grow in the future. Anna wanted a career and Daniel wanted her to be his non-working wife. How they worked out their differences is the crux of this first story. The second story tells of Daniel's ancestor, Ian, who had a history as a rebel in his native Scotland and who brought that rebellious spirit to America where he continued to fight the British. The first story is longer and does a better job of developing the characters, while the second one is almost too short to tell the story properly. For The MacGregor Family fans, however, this book fills in some information about the history of the family.
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