[Harlequin] - Dawn Stewardson - Moon Shadow (txt), Ksiazki, txt
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ABOUT THE AUTHORFirst, dozens of readers wrote to say how much they loved Dawn Stewardson's first time-travel story, Blue Moon. Then, Romantic Times magazine gave the book a Special Achievement award. Finally, Dawn decided to write a spin-off.Readers of Blue Moon will recall that the hero had a young son, Will, who traveled through time with him to the twentieth century. Now, in Moon Shadow, Will returns to the Old West.Dawn Stewardson makes her home in Toronto with her husband, John, in an old house on the shores of Lake Ontario.Books by Dawn StewardsonHARLEQUIN SUPERROMANCE329-VANISHING ACT 355-DEEP SECRETS 383-BLUE MOON 405-PRIZE PASSAGE 409-HEARTBEAT 432-THREE'S COMPANYHARLEQUIN INTRIGUE80-PERIL IN PARADISE 90-NO RHYME OR REASONDon't miss any of our special offers. Write to us at the following address for information on our newest releases.Harlequin Reader Service P.O. Box 1397, Buffalo, NY 14.240 Canadian address: P.O. Box 603, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A5X3Published November 1991ISBN 0-373-70.477-1MOON SHADOWCopyright (c) 1991 by Dawn Stewardson. All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission of the publisher. Harlequin Enterprises Limited. 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.(r) are Trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries.Printed in U.S.A.To the readers of Blue Moonwho asked for a sequel.And to John, alwaysCHAPTER ONETHE KNOCK didn't startle Emma. She'd been expecting something. Her sensibilities, as her mother had dubbed those feelings when they'd surfaced in childhood, had been quiet for quite a spell. But the past few days she'd been having dreadful worries about John. And this morning she'd woken with a premonition that something unusual was going to happen today. Something so unusual that Saturday, the sixteenth of July, 1887, would be a day she would never forget.She quickly slipped the pie she'd just assembled into the oven, wiped the flour off her hands onto her apron, and headed to the front of the house.At the door, she paused to glance in the mirror. Her face was flushed from the kitchen's heat. She brushed up a loose tendril of her long hair, catching it in a hairpin, then opened the door. And when she looked out, the most peculiar sensation seized her. She felt as if time was suddenly standing still.On her porch stood a man with the warmest black eyes she'd ever seen. She simply gazed up into them, mesmerized for a second... or was it a minute... or longer?She knew, with absolute certainty, that this man's arrival was the unusual event she'd been expecting.Finally she managed to draw her gaze from his eyes and consider the rest of him. He was a perfect example of what the writers in Ladies' Home Journal referred to as "a fine figure of a man." Tall, lean, cleanshaven and dark-haired, with a face that was all strong lines and angles. Far too attractive a face for her to feel comfortable looking at it for too long. She focused, instead, on his elegant attire.She'd never before seen wool as smoothly woven as that of his suit. And the bowler he held politely in one hand appeared to be real silk.He made her think of a San Francisco Nob. She could easily imagine him walking out of one of the millionaires' mansions on Nob Hill and strolling down California Street to the financial district. But what was he doing in a small Nevada town like Mountainview?He stood watching her with an uncertain expression that tempted her to ask what was wrong. She resisted, though. She sensed a strangeness about him. She couldn't define precisely what the strangeness was, but it was sending her sensibilities into chaos."I'm sorry, I seem to have the wrong house," he finally said.His voice was deep but soft. And just his one sentence confirmed her assumption that he was well-educated.She nodded her understanding and began to close the door. The unusual event had been brief. That was strange... not at all the major occurrence her premonition had led her to expect. But that was probably for the good."Perhaps you could direct me," the man added quickly. "A fellow at the old McCully house sent me here, but he obviously gave me a false lead. I'm looking for John McCully's place."She paused behind the half-shut door, then slowly opened it again. "This is John's house."The man's uncertain expression deepened. "But you can't be Abigail. Or Hildy. You're not old enough.""You know my family?" she asked curiously."Yes. I mean, I did. Years ago. I'm Will Lockhart, an old friend of John's."Emma shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid your name doesn't mean anything to me. But I'm Emma, John's other sister.""Emma? I don't recall your parents having a third girl. You must be even younger than you look.""I'm twenty-seven."The man stared at her for another moment, then his face broke into a grin.The sight of his even white teeth, and the intriguing way his mouth dipped a touch to the left when he smiled, started a funny little fluttering in her chest."You're the baby," he said. "I'm sorry, but I forgot that you were a girl."She swallowed uneasily. Men didn't make her in-sides flutter. Nor cause any other internal reactions. She'd taught herself not to allow them to - had been aware, since childhood, that keeping company with a man could only lead her to disaster. So the persistent sensation this man's presence was causing was most disconcerting."I really do apologize," he added. "The fellow I spoke to said John lived with one of his sisters. The local schoolmarm. And I just assumed it was Abigail or Hildy.""No. Abigail and her husband are in the Dakotas. And Hildy and her family live in Missouri. I'm the one who teaches school here.""Well, I didn't mean to be insulting. Not remembering you, I mean. But John and I were only boys. And we never referred to you as anything except the baby. But, Emma...yes, I recall now. Of course you were a girl... are a girl... a woman, I mean, Emma."She nodded, hoping he'd stop repeating her name. The way his voice seemed to caress it, as if it wasn't at all common, made her nervous."I'm Billy," he continued. "I go by Will, now, but has John ever mentioned the name Billy Lockhart?""Why...why, yes, of course he has. Many times. You and your father moved to Boston, didn't you?"Will nodded.So, Emma amended her thoughts, this man, Will Lockhart, didn't live on San Francisco's Nob Hill. But in Boston he likely lived on prestigious Beacon Hill. "It's been so many years since John's seen you," she offered."Yes. Twenty-five. He and I were both nine when I left."Emma nodded again, trying to imagine what on earth had brought him to their door after all that time. "And you still live in Boston, Will?""Yes. I'm an astronomer there.""An astronomer," she repeated, trying not to smile. But she would be hard put to think of a more esoteric occupation. It certainly wasn't one there was any call for in the West."You know," he elaborated, "I study stars and planets and their movements.""Yes, I know what astronomers do. John's often wondered what became of you. My mother has, too. She was very fond of you." Will gave a relieved-looking smile. "I'm glad I haven't been forgotten, because I've got to talk to John about something extremely important. Do you know where I can find him? Right now, I mean?""Not exactly," she said slowly, watching his reaction.His smile faded to a worried expression. "But he won't be difficult to locate, will he? It's essential that I see him today."Emma took a step back. She needed a little time to puzzle this situation through. "Please come inside, Will. I should have invited you in before this. And perhaps you'd like a cold glass of lemonade?"He nodded, stepping through the doorway. "If it's not too much trouble.""No, no trouble. It's already squeezed. I'll just fetch you some."She headed into the kitchen, thinking rapidly. How very odd that Will Lockhart had come looking for her brother after twenty-five years. How strange he seemed so anxious to see John just when she'd begun having sensibilities about some terrible thing happening to him.She took the lemonade from the icebox, reached for a glass and absently started to pour. And then a thought made her hands begin to shake so badly she almost dropped the pitcher.What if Will Lockhart was somehow a part of the terrible thing she sensed was going to happen to her brother?WILL TOSSED HIS HAT onto one of the parlor chairs and considered the idea of kicking himself. He hadn't acted like such a total, complete fool in front of a woman since... Lord, when had he ever been such a donkey?By the time he'd finished apologizing for not remembering Emma existed - not as a female, at least-he'd been practically babbling.Hell, he'd been an idiot, while she'd been calm and collected and perfectly at ease. His arrival hadn't seemed to disturb her in the slightest. It was almost as if she'd been expecting him. But she'd taken him so by surprise that he still wasn't thinking quite straight.Some schoolmarm. Spinster schoolmarm, to quote that fellow precisely. When she was absolutely gorgeous. Enormous blue eyes and smooth, pale skin with a nat...
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