Deception And Dreams – Debra Dier

“Now, I was a small boy. Much smaller than the other boys my age, and I always fell prey to their mischief. The first thing I asked the little man was to be tall. He told me to close my eyes and count to three. So I closed my eyes, counted to three, and when I opened them…

” Austin paused, causing the children gathered around his feet to draw closer. “What happened?” a chorus of little voices asked. “Nothing happened. The little man was gone, I was alone, and just as short as ever.” “But you’re tall,” the little dark-haired girl on Austin’s lap insisted. Austin nodded. “When I awoke the next morning, I was taller than any of the boys in the village.

And they never gave me any trouble again.” “What did you get with your other wishes?” a little boy asked, his brown eyes wide as he stared up at Austin. Austin turned his head and smiled at Sarah. She felt the shock of meeting those silvery blue eyes all the way down to her toes. Hopelessly caught in his web, she couldn’t look away. I wished to meet the most beautiful woman in the world, Austin said. Sarah felt her blush rise like a tide of fire from her waist to the roots of her hair.

Images collected in her mind, memories yet to be made. She saw Austin holding a dark-haired boy on his lap, saw a fair-haired girl sitting at his feet, listening as their father spun stories. An ache throbbed inside her, a jagged wound of longing she tried desperately to ignore.

It would be beyond foolishness to believe Austin Sinclair would ever want a future with her. “And did you meet her?” a little boy asked. “Oh, yes,” Austin said. “What was the third wish?” a girl asked. “Ah.” Austin smiled, pure mischief curving his lips as he looked at Sarah. “That one I have yet to make.” Emotions crowded Sarah’s chest, pressing against her heart. Heaven help her, but she knew what her wish would be.

“Tell us another story.” The plea started with one little boy and spread until the children were singing a chorus for Austin. “Let’s take a walk,” Sabrina whispered as Austin surrendered to the children’s demands. Sarah followed Sabrina through the open French doors near one end of the room onto a wide stone terrace.

Elm and oak trees stood tall near the terrace, shading the house with long branches. Four crescents of rose bushes fanned out from a gravel path that led from the terrace to the wide lawn. Three stone walls marched along the perimeter of the lawn, enclosing the property. Here the noise of carriage wheels on granite was a distant rattle lost in the rustle of leaves and the song of birds.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were being courted by such an eligible young man?”

New York City, May 1887 “Don’t move or I’ll shoot.” Sarah gripped the handle of her brother’s gun between her palms, trying to steady her hands as she aimed at the broad back of the intruder. He halted in the middle of her brother’s secret gallery, this man who had invaded her home. He had drawn the drapes in a room forever cloaked from the outside world, allowing pale moonlight to pour through the three mullioned windows, casting squares of silver across the room. Caught in a silvery frame, moonlight etched his tall form in the darkness, drawing lines along wide shoulders, slipping silver fingers into hair as black as the devil’s soul.

“I assure you, I’m an excellent marksman.” She reached blindly for the switch she knew should be directly to her right on the wall, hoping her lie sounded convincing. She was terrified of guns. “Don’t try anything foolish. I won’t hesitate to shoot you.” He glanced over his shoulder. Soft moonlight carved his profile, illuminating the curve of his lips. The man was smiling! “Miss Van Horne, you’re supposed to be attending a ball at Isabel Bennett’s home.” “How did you know?” Sarah clenched the pistol, her damp palm slipping against the smooth silver grip.

Where was that switch? she wondered, sliding her left hand across the smooth mahogany panels lining the wall. “In my profession, it’s important to know when the lady of the house will be out.” His voice was deep, smooth, like sable sliding against her skin, and it was tinged with an accent that painted images in her mind of stone castles rising above the English moors. She connected with the switch, her fingers fumbling a moment before the lights overhead flickered and glowed, spilling blessed incandescent light into the room.

She stared at the intruder, a tall man with thick black hair that spilled over the collar of his finely tailored black coat in soft waves. Who was this thief who sounded as though he would be at home among the British aristocracy? “I’m sure the police will be fascinated by your trade secrets.” “Do you really need to summon the police?” He turned to face her, a slow pivot filled with the grace of a panther. “There’s been no harm done.”

Sarah tried to draw a breath, but it splintered in her throat. The man was not what she had expected. Not at all.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 562e0df74420f216
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 1,674,620 bytes (1.597 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 576
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 585.72 minutes
• Total Words: 117,144
• Total Characters: 650,669
• Average Words per Page: 203.38
• Average Characters per Page: 1129.63

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