A Rose At Midnight. Sylvie Kurtz

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      “I can protect you. I can give you security. I can give you the world.”

      “But not your love.” She no longer seemed to feel anything—not the room’s cold air, not the fire in her stomach, not the feelings that should be ripping through her like a tornado.

      “There are more solid things between a man and a woman than useless feelings.”

      “Like what?” Could Daniel have forgotten the passion they’d once shared?

      “Like the things you say you want, Christiane. Family, roots, security.”

      Her voice could not climb up her throat. A tiny sound echoed inside her like a wounded cry. She checked her cheeks with a quick flick of her hand to make sure no moisture stained them, betraying the ease with which he could tear open old wounds.

      “Trust me.” He said the words so softly, she had to strain to catch them. Their gazes met and held. His weighty sadness mixed with hers and wove a bond of regret for all that might have been, all that could never be.

      “The last time I trusted you,” she blurted out, “I ended up pregnant.”

      Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

      As we ring in a new year, we have another great month of mystery and suspense coupled with steamy passion.

      Here are some juicy highlights from our six-book lineup:

      • Julie Miller launches a new series, THE PRECINCT, beginning with Partner-Protector. These books revolve around the rugged Fourth Precinct lawmen of Kansas City whom you first fell in love with in the TAYLOR CLAN series!

      • Rocky Mountain Mystery marks the beginning of Cassie Miles’s riveting new trilogy, COLORADO CRIME CONSULTANTS, about a network of private citizens who volunteer their expertise in solving criminal investigations.

      • Those popular TOP SECRET BABIES return to our lineup for the next four months!

      • Gothic-inspired tales continue in our spine-tingling ECLIPSE promotion.

      And don’t forget to look for Debra Webb’s special Signature Spotlight title this month: Dying To Play.

      Hopefully we’ve whetted your appetite for January’s thrilling lineup. And be sure to check back every month to satisfy your craving for outstanding suspense reading.

      Enjoy!

      Denise O’Sullivan

      Senior Editor

      Harlequin Intrigue

      A Rose at Midnight

      Sylvie Kurtz

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      Pour Maman et Papa—avec amour.

       and

       For Linda Kruger and Denise O’Sullivan—with appreciation.

      Author’s Note

      Some of the dates, location and order of events of the Carnaval were altered to suit story purposes. The tale of Rose Latulippe is one I remember from my childhood—the most vivid version being the one from a children’s program called Franfreluche.

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Flying an eight-hour solo cross-country in a Piper Arrow with only the airplane’s crackling radio and a large bag of M&M’s for company, Sylvie Kurtz realized a pilot’s life wasn’t for her. The stories zooming in and out of her mind proved more entertaining than the flight itself. Not a quitter, she finished her pilot’s course and earned her commercial license and instrument rating.

      Since then, she has traded in her wings for a keyboard where she lets her imagination soar to create fictional adventures that explore the power of love and the thrill of suspense. When not writing, she enjoys the outdoors with her husband and two children, quilt-making, photography and reading whatever catches her interest.

      You can write to Sylvie at

       P.O. Box 702, Milford, NH 03055.

       And visit her Web site at www.sylviekurtz.com.

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

      Christiane Lawrence—She’s seeking roots in her history. She’s finding a whole lot more.

      Daniel Moreau—He can speak with his music—words come much harder.

      Rosane Lawrence—She’s the daughter Daniel tried to protect.

      Armand Langelier—His obsession brought them all together.

      Marguerite Langelier—The years have etched resentment on her face.

      Caroline Lawrence—She’s the one mistake Armand has allowed himself.

      Francine Beaulieu—She’s the curious next-door neighbor.

      Jean-Paul Dubuc—He’s Daniel’s bulldog manager. He shaped Daniel’s career, and he won’t let Daniel lose his star status over a woman.

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Epilogue

      Chapter One

      Feelings were for fools and Daniel Moreau hadn’t played the fool for anyone in years.

      But he felt her presence before he turned around. Felt her in a way that grated against the ruthless control he’d cultivated since that night nine years ago when his world had turned upside down. Felt her and knew with certainty that her presence here was no accident of fate.

      Did she know she was being used? Probably not. Christiane Lawrence was too trusting for her own good. That more than anything made her a threat to him.

      He watched with predatory curiosity as the white-gloved butler took her snow-colored coat. Watched as red-jacketed waiters offered her tantalizing tidbits and generous goblets of wine from silver platters. Watched as Armand Langelier took her elbow and guided her to their hostess, Madame Bernier. And found an unexpected possessiveness grounding itself somewhere between his boots and his brain.

      With a shake of his head, Daniel dismissed the errant feeling. She wasn’t his anymore.

      Her dangling blue and silver icicle earrings were an anomaly in a sea of diamonds and sapphires. He guessed she’d worn them as a conversation starter. For all the quiet sophistication of her clothes and careful style of her short blond hair, he remembered her as shy. She moved with confidence, the soft silk and the flattering cut of her dove-gray cocktail dress shifting pleasantly with each of her steps. Subdued class—one of the many things he’d liked about Christiane.

      Armand leaned down to whisper something in her ear, and she laughed in response. Though he could not hear the sound, it rippled through him. Her laughter. Her voice. They’d once cracked open a lock he’d thought rusted shut. Daniel’s fists tightened by his side. Not this time.

      The older man’s gaze shifted to the crowd. Looking for