Cry to the Wind (Book 2 of a Trilogy)

Adam undertakes an overland journey from Sydney to Melbourne with his two young sons and leaves them there while he joins a whaling ship.
When he returns, Joey is there to greet him. Although she has been in love with him since they first met, she knows he does not reciprocate her feelings. Despite this, Adam agrees to stay in Melbourne and manage one of her five hotels and slowly realises his growing attachment to her. They marry but Adam is not the person she once knew and, with Joey intent on continuing her business interests, their marriage is far from perfect.
Victoria becomes a separate colony and bushfires in 1851 devastate much of the land. Adam struggles to find his place in Joey’s world. With the advent of the gold rush, their business interests rapidly expand. Joey is away from home a great deal and forms a liaison with an American entrepreneur, Bart Montgomery which further complicates their lives and ultimately leads to tragedy.