Captive Destiny. Anne Mather

       Mills & Boon is proud to present a fabulous collection of fantastic novels by bestselling, much loved author

      ANNE MATHER

      Anne has a stellar record of achievement within the

      publishing industry, having written over one hundred and sixty books, with worldwide sales of more than forty-eight MILLION copies in multiple languages.

      This amazing collection of classic stories offers a chance

      for readers to recapture the pleasure Anne’s powerful, passionate writing has given.

      We are sure you will love them all!

      I’ve always wanted to write—which is not to say I’ve always wanted to be a professional writer. On the contrary, for years I only wrote for my own pleasure and it wasn’t until my husband suggested sending one of my stories to a publisher that we put several publishers’ names into a hat and pulled one out. The rest, as they say, is history. And now, one hundred and sixty-two books later, I’m literally—excuse the pun—staggered by what’s happened.

      I had written all through my infant and junior years and on into my teens, the stories changing from children’s adventures to torrid gypsy passions. My mother used to gather these manuscripts up from time to time, when my bedroom became too untidy, and dispose of them! In those days, I used not to finish any of the stories and Caroline, my first published novel, was the first I’d ever completed. I was newly married then and my daughter was just a baby, and it was quite a job juggling my household chores and scribbling away in exercise books every chance I got. Not very professional, as you can imagine, but that’s the way it was.

      These days, I have a bit more time to devote to my work, but that first love of writing has never changed. I can’t imagine not having a current book on the typewriter—yes, it’s my husband who transcribes everything on to the computer. He’s my partner in both life and work and I depend on his good sense more than I care to admit.

      We have two grown-up children, a son and a daughter, and two almost grown-up grandchildren, Abi and Ben. My e-mail address is [email protected] and I’d be happy to hear from any of my wonderful readers.

      Captive Destiny

       Anne Mather

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      Table of Contents

       Cover

       About the Author

       Title Page

      CHAPTER ONE

      CHAPTER TWO

      CHAPTER THREE

      CHAPTER FOUR

      CHAPTER FIVE

       CHAPTER SIX

       CHAPTER SEVEN

       CHAPTER EIGHT

       CHAPTER NINE

       CHAPTER TEN

       CHAPTER ELEVEN

       Copyright

       CHAPTER ONE

      THE telephone rang and Emma picked up the receiver.

      ‘Avery Antiques. Can I help—–’ she was beginning, when a harsh, masculine voice interrupted her.

      ‘Emma! How are you?’

      Her heart quickened its beat for a moment and then she squashed the sudden anger that gripped her. There was no point in expending unnecessary emotion needlessly. She ought to be able to speak to Jordan without feeling anything at all, but it wasn’t easy when for so long resentment had coloured her reactions towards him.

      ‘Good morning, Jordan,’ she responded now, coolly, without expression. ‘What can I do for you?’

      ‘So formal!’ he remarked cynically. ‘I asked how you were.’

      ‘Oh—well, I’m fine, thank you.’ Emma’s fingers tightened on the receiver. It wasn’t like Jordan to care, one way or the other.

      ‘You are? Good.’ She could hear the irony in his tone. There was a long pause, then: ‘Aren’t you going to ask how I am?’

      I don’t particularly care! But the words were never spoken. Instead, she said: ‘I am rather busy at the moment, Jordan. If there’s something—–’

      ‘There is.’ His crisp tones overrode her polite rejection. ‘Have dinner with me this evening.’

      ‘No!’ The refusal was out before she had time to formulate her feelings. ‘That is—I’m afraid I can’t have dinner with you this evening.’

      ‘Why not?’ Jordan was not a man to accept defeat so easily.

      ‘Because—because I already have an appointment, as it happens,’ she declared, justifying her words with a silent admonition to her conscience. After all, she had told Mrs Ingram she was going to make a start on clearing out the attic and despite the cold weather she had considered going up there tonight.

      ‘I see.’ She heard Jordan’s impatient intake of breath. Tomorrow night, then.’

      ‘I’m afraid not.’

      ‘Another appointment?’ His sarcasm was showing.

      ‘No.’ She moved the receiver to her other ear. ‘As a matter of fact, I—I really don’t want to have dinner with you, Jordan.’

      ‘Afraid of making David jealous? From what I hear, I don’t believe you have to worry on that score.’

      ‘You swine, Jordan!’

      ‘Oh, come.’ He made an irritated sound. ‘I don’t want to row with you, Emma. I just want to talk to you, that’s all. Nothing more.’

      ‘No.’

      She wanted to hang up on him then, but something kept her hanging on the line, despising herself for allowing him any opportunity to hurt her once again. Jordan Kyle was a past master in the art of hurting her, yet she still felt a tremor when she heard his voice.

      ‘Emma …’ He was obviously seeking for words. ‘I have to talk to you. You could say it’s—a matter of life and death.’

      ‘Whose death?’ Emma’s mouth was dry. ‘Yours?’

      ‘Unfortunately not.’ He paused. ‘Well? Am I to be granted an audience?’

      Emma hesitated. ‘You—you could come to the house. Have, dinner with—with David and me, if you want to.’ But she crossed her fingers as she suggested this. David would never sit down to a meal with Jordan Kyle.

      Jordan sighed. ‘No, Emma. That wouldn’t do at all, and you know it.’

      ‘I’m sorry …’

      ‘Are you?’ He sounded sceptical. ‘All right, Emma. If I can’t persuade you to change your mind … I’m sorry to have troubled you.’

      ‘Wait!’ He was going to hang up on her. She knew it.