Forever and Ever: 7

The last in the Wickerley trilogy (To Love and to Cherish and To Have and to Hold), Gaffney brings to life two more inhabitants of the quaint Victorian village in the south of England. When Sophie Deene's father dies, his last wish is for her to inherit Guelder, the family copper mine. Sophie works hard and is proud of her accomplishments-maybe a bit too proud. Conner Pendarvis is new in town, sent there by the Rhadamanthus Society to expose dangerous working conditions. His assignment: to go undercover to the Guelder mine. Bitter after losing most of his family to the mines, Conner still has his pride and a driving ambition to right all wrongs. An initial attraction between the two is dampened when Sophie discovers the handsome Cornishman is ""only"" a miner. This touching story, filled with sensual tension, runs the emotional gamut, culminating with love winning over pride and ambition. (Apr.)