have his investigation fall apart, Agent Poole stepped closer and said, âListen, you. Donât threaten me. I could make your life a nightmare.â He put his hand in front of her face and unfolded three fingers as he said, âIâm F . . . B . . . I.â
She smiled. It wasnât the reaction he expected. âYou want to talk nightmares?â she said. She put her hand up to his face and unfolded her three fingers. âIâm I . . . R . . . S.â
Titles by Julie Garwood
Sweet Talk
The Ideal Man
Sizzle
Fire and Ice
Shadow Music
Shadow Dance
Slow Burn
Murder List
Killjoy
Mercy
Heartbreaker
Ransom
Come the Spring
The Clayborne Brides
The Wedding
For the Roses
Prince Charming
Saving Grace
Castles
The Secret
The Prize
The Gift
Guardian Angel
The Bride
The Lionâs Lady
Honorâs Splendour
Rebellious Desire
Gentle Warrior
A Girl Named Summer
DUTTON
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Published by Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.); Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England; Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephenâs 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 Delhiâ110 017, India; Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Aucklanb 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd); Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
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Published by Dutton, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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Copyright © 1994 by Julie Garwood All rights reserved
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eISBN : 978-1-101-53160-0
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PUBLISHERâS NOTE
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To Marilyn Regina Murphy.
My sister, my champion, my friend.
Know what it is to be a child . . .
To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
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âWilliam Blake, Auguries of Innocence
1
Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful .
âWilliam Shakespeare, Measure for Measure
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London, England, 1868
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T he vultures were gathering in the vestibule. The salon was already filled to capacity, as was the dining room and the library above. More of the black-clad predators lined the curved staircase. Every now and then two or three would bob their heads in unison as they gulped from their glasses of champagne. They were watchful, expectant, hopeful. They were also vile and disgusting.
They were the relatives.
Quite a few