The Gilded Curse

January, 1942 - After her brother is killed at Pearl Harbor, Lexie Smithfield returns to Jekyll Island to handle the disposition of Destiny, the family's impressive vacation cottage. Ten years before, the family quit coming to the exclusive Millionaire's Club after a series of freak accidents. Her mother believed God cursed the island. Locals say it's haunted. Russell Parker, whose family has worked at the Jekyll Island Hotel since it opened in 1887, knows many secrets. For the past 10 years, he has kept his promise to Lexie's brother and kept quiet about the incident that ended the Smithfields' resort vacations. But when Lexie and Russell meet again as adults, familiar feelings of friendship mix with new, more intimate feelings of attraction. With the resort's popularity in decline due to the Depression and war, many of the cottages remain abandoned, casting a cloud of gloom over the island. With German U-boats offshore, Lexie faces daily threats to her safety as well as her own fears of rejection. Is Lexie's destiny cursed by her family's history? Or will Russell help her learn the truth and find peace for her trouble heart?