WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124,
Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi - 110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632,
New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, May 2011
eISBN : 978-1-101-53108-2
Copyright © Katherine Smith, 2011 All rights reserved
SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
http://us.penguingroup.com
The inside of the ballroom was oppressively hot and Victoria Manwell idly fanned herself, stifled by the crowd and heat. “I think I’ll go outside and get some fresh air,” she said, nodding toward the tall French doors open to the terrace and the promise of a cooler, cleaner breeze that did not reek of perfume, sweat, and stale champagne. “I thought I saw Stephen step out a second ago. Perhaps I’ll join him.”
Her aunt merely nodded, half-absorbed in listening to a bit of scintillating gossip, her plump figure firmly planted in a chair. “Don’t catch your death, dear. It’s quite chilly outside.”
The death of me, Victoria thought darkly as she attempted to edge through melee of swirling bodies with polite determination, will be to have to stay inside for another minute . Gaining the exit, she stepped out onto the flagstone terrace and inhaled a great lungful of clean air, feeling vastly relieved. The truth was, she detested parties such as these, much preferring working in her garden or curling up in bed with a good book.
Where is Stephen? she wondered, casting a look around. Other than a couple close together, whispering and leaning against the balustrade, there was no one in sight. Odd, as she’d been sure she’d seen him, dressed as always in his very severe evening clothes, easing out the very same doors just moments before.
The crisp cool evening wind wafted over her bare shoulders above the low neckline of her fashionable gown, the sensation delightful. She descended the wide steps and chose the path to her left, leaving the sounds of merriment behind. Flowers were dying in homage to the encroaching threat of winter, the roses drooping and beginning to scatter thick petals across the stones that paved the way. A familiar scent wafted upward and Victoria ran her fingers over
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124,
Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi - 110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632,
New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, May 2011
eISBN : 978-1-101-53108-2
Copyright © Katherine Smith, 2011 All rights reserved
SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
http://us.penguingroup.com
The inside of the ballroom was oppressively hot and Victoria Manwell idly fanned herself, stifled by the crowd and heat. “I think I’ll go outside and get some fresh air,” she said, nodding toward the tall French doors open to the terrace and the promise of a cooler, cleaner breeze that did not reek of perfume, sweat, and stale champagne. “I thought I saw Stephen step out a second ago. Perhaps I’ll join him.”
Her aunt merely nodded, half-absorbed in listening to a bit of scintillating gossip, her plump figure firmly planted in a chair. “Don’t catch your death, dear. It’s quite chilly outside.”
The death of me, Victoria thought darkly as she attempted to edge through melee of swirling bodies with polite determination, will be to have to stay inside for another minute . Gaining the exit, she stepped out onto the flagstone terrace and inhaled a great lungful of clean air, feeling vastly relieved. The truth was, she detested parties such as these, much preferring working in her garden or curling up in bed with a good book.
Where is Stephen? she wondered, casting a look around. Other than a couple close together, whispering and leaning against the balustrade, there was no one in sight. Odd, as she’d been sure she’d seen him, dressed as always in his very severe evening clothes, easing out the very same doors just moments before.
The crisp cool evening wind wafted over her bare shoulders above the low neckline of her fashionable gown, the sensation delightful. She descended the wide steps and chose the path to her left, leaving the sounds of merriment behind. Flowers were dying in homage to the encroaching threat of winter, the roses drooping and beginning to scatter thick petals across the stones that paved the way. A familiar scent wafted upward and Victoria ran her fingers over
Similar Books
