Chapter 1

Alamaina Poldie Estates Eastern Section

Jennifer Rose Horton was an exceptionally beautiful woman, blond hair, blue eyes, and delicate features. A petite five foot four inches in height, she accented her height as most girls her height with heels. She had chosen her career in the field of news reporting and because she was a young woman her editor and current boyfriend Jack Deveraux had given her nothing but fluff pieces. That was because he was assured she would be safe. She smiled thinking of Jack. She had remembered how he had likened her as a girl with a lot of spunk.

Then she frowned when she recalled how he had also called her fearlessly naive and she had given him many false heart-stopping moments. That was when she had given confidence and was confident in her passionate pursuits. When she was proving Jack wrong.

Now pacing back and forth in her bedroom she had been assigned she had to stop and wonder if he was not right. What had she done? Why had she done it and how the hell was she going to get out of this mess? Jennifer continued to pace back and forth, she had less than two days before this wedding and she had carried this deception far enough and against her better judgment.

However, the more she tried to extricate herself from this contrivance to save her friend Carly also known to her in her boarding school days as Katarina she had managed to get engaged under false pretenses with Lawrence Alamain. Lawrence Alamain was a handsome man with dark penetrating eyes that bore right though her, a soft gentle manner when he was not crossed and a stare that caught Jennifer and frightened her.

Lawrence was dangerous and very wealthy and what he believed she was going to do was as Katarina bring more wealth to him with this marriage. She had to find a way out of this marriage before it actually happened. Her Grandmother Alice Horton posing as Cecily Smyth had shown up pretending to be her nanny or rather the nanny for Katarina. Unfortunately for her and Alice, Lawrence had heard her call Alice Grandmother and had inquired as to why Katarina would call her nanny Grandmother.

They had given him a glib but plausible excuse and even had tried to return to Salem. Again, it was as if Lawrence had anticipated her every move and had bought out the entire plane for their trip to his country. Once they had arrived in Alamaina Jennifer could not worry about her grandmother and had thought she had safely helped her escape with the help of a kindly man named Poldie. She believed that her grandmother was safely home and back to the United States. Then Jack had shown up. That is when the comedy of errors had happened and she had to worry about him.

Jack had been there all the way encouraging her to leave. Lawrence expressing a concern for her safety had placed her under heavy guard. Her every move was monitored and she was trapped like a rat on a sinking ship, now that was not a good euphemism to use, she had Jack had been ship wrecked on an island so she did not want to drown. Which had brought up another misadventure that she had experienced with one Jack Deveraux. For her and Jack that had been the cementing of their relationship and the first lover she had taken.

During their courtship for the public view, Lawrence had been overly solicitous and very endearing with his tender words of "What is it sweetheart?" The loving touches that were chaste and safe had given her an uneasy feeling. The touches had been contrived to appear endearing and loving but there was an underlying hardness that filtered into his gaze when he studied her when he thought she was not looking.

The lavish gifts, the introduction to society and his attention to every minor detail to make sure everyone knew he was engaged to Katarina had been nothing but a ploy on his part to secure his position as her fiancé. The whole time Jennifer had felt horrible playing this deceitful game.

However, it had been for a good cause and she was sure that Carly would appreciate her sacrifice. She would pretend to be Katarina up to the day of the wedding, confess and leave with Jack. She just had one more day of celebrations and then she could leave. Yes, that is what she would do, confess, no harm, no foul and just walk out of here and get on with her life with Jack.

Jennifer had planned it all out and now all she needed to do was dodge any more obligatory dinners or balls on her behalf. Then he came through the door and smiled. He was handsome but he had darkness to him and he had admitted to her he was the head of Gencon and they had been responsible for some horrible accidents by cutting costs and ignoring safety features. The last she heard that Gencon was working on some toxic type of weaponry and that they had not taken the precautions that were necessary to secure the population or their employees.

"Katarina, my dearest come I have prepared a very special dinner for just the two of us this evening." He held his hand out and gently took her forearm. His fingers securely wrapping around her arm to pull her next to him and hook her arm over his. "Now, this will not be possible tomorrow night, for tomorrow night we will not be allowed to see one another. You know it's bad luck for the bride to see the groom on the night before their wedding and the day of, I should not see you until we are wed." He smiled patted her hand leading her out into the hallway.

When she first arrived at his home insolated in the foothills of Alamania's capitol city she was over whelmed by the sumptuousness of the estate. Gate guards had taken up position at the end of the driveway in front of the house. This alone with Jennifer and her Grandmother Alice Horton had given both some cause for concern. Both grandmother and granddaughter looked from one another then they turned their gaze to Lawrence who smiled proudly. When the stretch limo pulled to a stop, Lawrence exited the vehicle button his jacket, held his hand to Jennifer and said very sweetly. "Welcome to my home Katarina."

Assisting her from the car she paused and looked around and was filled with absolute fear. They were so far from everything and everyone. There was nothing but this palatial estate hidden behind tall walls, guards and foothills. Allowing him to lead her into his home, she paused to look at the entrance hallway; the place was a museum piece with its antiques and decorative pieces displayed beautifully through out the home. Jennifer turned and watched as Gregory Lacoste led her grandmother around to the rear entrance of the house. "Um Lawrence where are they taking Cecily?"

He wrapped his arm securely around her shoulders and spoke softly, "My dear as close as you may be to your nanny, she is a servant and they must use the servant's entrance. In my country there is unfortunately a class difference and we follow the traditions that our father's- father's laid down before us. Come, I wish to show you to your room." He led her around the various planters and priceless works of art to a set of steps to a short landing. He continued to guide her down a long hallway to a door and opened it to allow her to enter before him.

"I hope you will find this room to your liking and comfortable, if there is anything you need you merely need to pick up the house phone and call for your maid, she will come to help you with whatever you may need." He bent over and gently placed a kiss on her cheek, stepping back he smiled. "I will leave you to unpack, you did tell me you prefer to unpack your own things, so they were delivered and are in your dressing room through that door there." He nodded to the adjoining door. "I look forward to seeing you later my dear."

That had been the slow and gradual degradation of her hope of ever leaving this place. Sitting across from the devilishly handsome man that was to become her husband, Jennifer listened to his compliments on her beauty and her intelligence and her apparent lack of experience with the world and world power.

"For someone as wealthy and traveled as you are Katarina I find that you are refreshingly naïve with your beliefs and knowledge of the way the world is and how it works. I do find that trait endearing. However, as endearing as that trait may appear and be; it is a very dangerous trait for my wife to have. Especially with me in the line of work I am involved. I am a very powerful business mogul and I have made some very powerful enemies."

He had leaned forward and lifted the wine bottle and poured her a glass of wine. Then poured him self a glass. "But we will not soil this evening of enjoying one another's company by talking business. I would prefer to get to know my future wife a little better and perhaps you will learn to relax around me enough that you are not always playing with your hair." He smiled watching her brush her fingertips to sweep back her hair from her face. She lowered her hand and blushed a deep shade of pink.

"it is just a bad habit. I am always playing with my hair, surely you know that is what girls do when they have long hair." She lifted her glass of wine and sipped sat it down and tried to show a more relaxed smile. Folding her hands neatly in her lap she looked him in the eye and said, "Well Lawrence what would you like to discuss?" She had sat back and looked down at the pheasant under glass that had been served and sighed, she was not hungry as a matter of fact she had not been hungry since she was hijacked by Lawrence on the plane she thought would take her back to Salem.

"I thought in this setting, I would show how our lives would be and many more like this to come once we are married. With this intimate setting I thought it would be a good opportunity to get to know one another a little more intimately. We are after all going to be man and wife and two people could not get any closer than that."

He had sat watching her closely for her reaction. "I realize you have or rather had another life before your commitment to me was required and I am sure that you had lovers just as I had lovers and as two adults I think we should be able to discuss our feelings and our desires with one another don't you Katarina?" He smiled and it was a calculated smile to appear sincere. His eyes traveled over her face and she did find she was very lovely and easy to look at from where he sat. On cue he was not disappointed to see he had struck a nerve with her.

He watched her brush her hair behind her ear and smiled. "See now I have made you nervous and uncomfortable." With those words he watched her face flush deep and a lovely shade of pink edged her cheekbones. He had noticed one of her habits she had was to brush her hair or play with it whenever she was nervous.

Her wide blue eyes peered up shocked, "I am not nervous." She quickly defended her position only to find him chuckle softly.

"Katarina there is nothing you could possibly do that I don't know or understand about you. I have learned you well and right now you are very nervous and uncomfortable discussing your feelings about this arrangement our parents locked us into so many years ago."

Jennifer was trying hard to appear confident and in control when inside she was a quivering mass of near hysteria. "What makes you think I am nervous or uncomfortable?" She had defended her position and once again was rewarded with that soft amused chuckle.

"Because you play with your hair when you are uncomfortable or nervous. I noticed that about you when we first met. How you nervously pushed her hair back over your ear and your doing it now." He watched her lower her hand and look down at her plate.

"You remembered from as far back as our very first meeting?" He nodded and she looked down. "I told you it is just a bad habit." She huffed a little trying to get her wits under control. She had to believe that there was no one out there with a memory as good as his.

"It's a charming habit and one I am growing fond of whenever I see you do it my dear." He was about to continue their conversation when Gregory walked into the room.

"Lawrence you are needed at the front gate, the guards are detaining a reporter that was trying to breach our security." Gregory turned to Jennifer, "Please forgive this intrusion Katarina it is a nuisance."

Lawrence shot a knowing look to Jennifer, "It would not happen to be Jack Deveraux would it?" He carefully watched Jennifer nearly choke on her wine, she had lifted it to take a sip and he had timed his question just right to get the reaction he had been expecting. "Katarina you remember Mr. Deveraux do you not?"

He had stood and placed his napkin on the table. Watching her color ebb from her face. "No why should I?" She was trying hard to cover her reaction, it was hard because her heart was beating out of her chest or so it seemed. Her hands were trembling, dropping them to her lap she clasped her fingers tightly together.

Lawrence had walked to her chair bent down and whispered softly in her ear, "Because he is your former lover." He kissed her cheek and followed Gregory out of the room leaving Jennifer trembling. How had he known about Jack? If he knew about Jack then how could she expect him to not know she was not Katarina?

Rising she paced to the window to see if she could peer out to the front gate. Unfortunately for her, the room they were dining was in the rear of the house and she could not see past the lush gardens that had surrounded the estate. Sighing she pressed her fingertips to her face and prayed that Jack would not be hurt. She walked to the front door of the estate and was met by a guard who had promptly stepped in front of the door blocking her exit. "Madam should return to her private dinner, and await Milord Alamain. He does not wish you to be subjected to the unpleasantness that is expected at the gate.

Jennifer backed up and walked on unsteady legs back to the small dining room that Lawrence had the servants set up for them. She was determined to see if it was Jack. Walking on the spindly heels, she stopped and pulled them off and crept to the side door and opened it looking out at the patio and the swimming pool on the side patio. Looking around she walked out the door and headed to the side gate only to have her way blocked by another guard. "Madam? Is there anything you need?"

Jennifer turned and shook her head. "No thank you. I was concerned for Lawrence and was just making sure he was unharmed."

"Why Katarina how touching that you were worried about me. But as you can see for yourself, I am perfectly fine. Come we have our dinner growing cold and I have a very pleasant surprise for you." He stepped up to her side, took her hand and neatly tucked it in the bend of his arm. Escorting her back to their dinner she walked stiffly next to him.

"Was it Jack?" She asked softly unable to look up to see the triumph in his eyes.

"Yes, as a matter of fact it was."

"Did you hurt him?" She glanced up then to see a little mischief dancing in those dark eyes.

"Do you really have such a low opinion of me? I merely had him escorted from the premises with a stern warning to not return. That your life with him is over and now you are engaged to be married to me." He saw her visibly relax hearing he was unharmed. "Now my dear that part of your life is over and now you will be enjoying a wonderful new life with me here in my country."

He walked her to the table and reseated her and filled her wine goblet. "Now, for dinner and afterwards as I said I have a wonderful surprise for you." He sat across from her and nailed her with that dark smoldering look. For a moment as he sat studying the image of Carly Manning shifted over Jennifer's face and he was transported to a time in the past when he had sat in this very room and dined with his true intended. He smiled with eyes of love and his heart was filled with the love he felt for his intended.

Jennifer saw the intent way he was looking at her and felt uncomfortable. He seemed to not be seeing her but someone else. "Lawrence?" She spoke softly lifting the wine goblet and cradling it in her hands. "Lawrence?" She watched him blink then smile that plastic sincere smile he used with her.

"Yes my love?" He lifted his wine and sipped it then set it back on the table and focused his attention on her.

"I thought there was a problem with the way you were looking at me." She flushed and lowered her lashes and he found that a charming trait he could learn to appreciate.

"No, no problem. I fear I have upset you. You have hardly eaten a thing on your plate. Is the pheasant not to your liking?"

Jennifer lifted her fork and took a bite. "No, I am not that hungry. You said you wanted to talk so don't you think we should talk about your old lover since you seem to know all about mine?" She noticed his sudden rising with a curling of his fingers into a fist and the dark look that had passed over his face.

"No, I do not wish to discuss her because she is unimportant and not a part of our lives from this day forward, just as Mr. Deveraux is not a part of your life any more. If you are not hungry, then perhaps we should go back to your room and your surprise. He motioned to a servant off in the shadows. Walking to Jennifer he held his hand to help her up from the table and led her back to her bedroom.

Lawrence smiled and nodded to Gregory who opened the door and a female servant carrying one of the most beautifully designed ball-wedding gowns walked in with a wide smile. She handed the dress to Lawrence. "Your wedding gown my dear, do you like it?"

Jennifer looked at the gown and had to admit who would not love such a beautiful gown. She reached forward to touch the gown and nodded. "Who would not love it." Once again Lawrence was transported to another time, and before him was Carly, who with tender hands of love touched the gown and smiled. She like Jennifer had done and said the same words.

"You had it made for her didn't you?" She looked at him to the gown and she saw a sudden hardness fill his face. "She was suppose to wear this gown wasn't she? See Lawrence you wanted this for the woman you loved."

Lawrence frowned; thrust the gown into her arms. "This gown was made for my bride and you will wear it on our wedding day." With more force than he had intended he had shoved the gown into her arms and bent over to get in her face and almost snarl it out. Pushing past her he walked out the door with Gregory following behind. Jennifer felt a sick feeling begin to ball into the center of her stomach. Taking the dress she turned and reverently laid it on the bed. Looking at the dress she peered over at her image in the gilt framed mirror.

"No I can't marry him. I will tall him the truth. Once he knows I am not Katarina he will not want to marry me." Feeling more confident she prepared for bed. When she had come from her shower she had found the maid had hung up her wedding gown and turned down her bed.

Walking to the dresser she pulled her brush from the top and sat on the edge of her bed. She reflected on how she had come to this point in her life and how she was going to resolve this latest problem and issue. Walking to her bed she laid down and waited for sleep to claim her and in her dreams she saw Jack, those eyes that looked uncertainly into her eyes but was filled with sincere love. As quickly Jack's image appeared in her mind so did Lawrence's.

His faux tender looks the almost caressing sound of his voice as he spoke her name only it was not her name but Carly's real name. Jack was there again and she was there in his arms and laying her head on Jack's shoulder and he was saying all the right words to calm her and make her feel secure and then there was Lawrence's voice. Speaking to her as his wife and how they live out their lives together as man and wife and she would jerk away from him only to turn back and see Jack. Smiling she relaxed and walked to Jack's open arms only to lay her head on his shoulder and close her eyes to hear Lawrence's voice.

"We will be very happy together Katarina." She pulled back to look up into the triumphant smiling face of Lawrence Alamain who held her close and drew her into his embrace. "It will be you and me and someday perhaps children will be a part of our lives too my love."

She recoiled as he lowered his mouth to capture her lips and force a passionate kiss on her. Jennifer resisted at first, then relaxed, she realized this was a dream and that who was really kissing her had to be Jack, wrapping her arms around his neck she pressed into his body and returned the kiss with as much passion as she was receiving to break the kiss and lay her head on his shoulder. "Happy, yes we will be happy together Jack." She felt him stroke her hair and then the voice was not Jack's

"Jack? Oh no my dear you will never be with Jack again. You must resign yourself to being my wife and faithful to me. You will be Mrs. Lawrence Alamain."

Jennifer pushed away from him and saw that look and it chilled her she backed away from him and in her momentary fear she woke herself up sitting up with a whispered "NO." Pushing her hair out of her face she buried her face in her hands and shook her head. "No, I will find a way out of this mess. I will tell him the truth and he will promptly pack me off and be angry but if I explain to him I meant no harm surely he would not be so cruel as to want to harm me or my family?" She slid from bed and walked to her balcony window. Stepping out onto the balcony she wrapped her arms around her body and looked to the stars. "Oh Grandma I hope you are home. Jack. . . Jack I know I was silly to think I could pull this off. Katarina warned me. I would not listen. I thought I could handle this but I think I am in over my head."