The Mulberry Tree Read online

  Critical acclaim for the marvelous romances of

  JUDE DEVERAUX

  THE MULBERRY TREE

  “Mystery, romance and good cooking converge in the latest by perennial bestseller Deveraux.”

  —People

  “Her protagonist combines innocent appeal with wry experience in a way that readers will surely find irresistible.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “A twisted, unpredictable story (not wholly women’s fiction, nor wholly mystery) that’s indicative of Deveraux’s penchant for telling fresh, new stories each time out.”

  —Romantic Times

  THE SUMMERHOUSE

  “Marvelously compelling reading . . . . Deeply satisfying . . . . ”

  —Houston Chronicle

  “Deveraux explores that oft-asked question in a well-written book that varies from the normal romance style, but still blends three love stories into an emotionally stirring novel.”

  —The State (Columbia, SC)

  “Entertaining summer reading.”

  —The Port St. Lucie News (FL)

  “Jude Deveraux’s writing is enchanting and exquisite in The Summerhouse.”

  —BookPage

  “Deveraux is at the top of her game . . . . [She] uses the time-travel motif that was so popular in A Knight in Shining Armor, successfully updating it with a female buddy twist that will make fans smile.”

  —Booklist

  “[A] wonderful, heartwarming tale of friendship and love.”

  —America Online Romance Fiction Forum

  “A wonderfully wistful contemporary tale . . . . With New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux, one thing that’s guaranteed is a happy ending.”

  —Barnesandnoble.com

  “Thought-provoking, entertaining, and downright delightful.”

  —Amazon.com

  “Jude Deveraux takes a fascinating theory and runs with it . . . a very compelling and intriguing story.”

  —Romantic Times

  “Once again, Deveraux gives us a book we can’t put down.”

  —Rendezvous

  TEMPTATION

  “Deveraux[’s] lively pace and happy endings . . . will keep readers turning pages.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Filled with excitement, action, and insight . . . . A nonstop thriller.”

  —Harriet Klausner, Barnesandnoble.com

  “[A] satisfying story.”

  —Booklist

  HIGH TIDE

  A Romantic Times Top Pick

  “High Tide is packed full of warmth, humor, sensual tension, and exciting adventure. What more could you ask of a book?”

  —Romantic Times

  “Fast-paced, suspenseful . . . . [A] sassy love story.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Exciting . . . . Fans of romantic suspense will gain much pleasure.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “[A] fast-paced escapade . . . mysterious and sultry.”

  —BookPage

  “Jude Deveraux not only keeps you guessing but mixes crime and human morality with humor in the most unexpected moments . . . . [A] fantastic read.”

  —Rendezvous

  THE BLESSING

  “Plenty of romance, fun, and adventure . . . fans won’t be disappointed.”

  —San Antonio Express-News

  “[A] fun and entertaining love story . . . . Wonderful . . . . A must for Deveraux fans.”

  —The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)

  “A heartwarming story.”

  —Kerrville Daily Times (TX)

  AN ANGEL FOR EMILY

  “All sorts of clever turns and surprises. Definitely a keeper . . . . Wow!”

  —The Philadelphia Inquirer

  Thank you for purchasing this Pocket Books eBook.

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  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

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Epilogue

  ‘Wild Orchids’ excerpt

  One

  He needed me.

  Whenever anyone—usually a reporter—asked me how I coped with a man like Jimmie, I smiled and said nothing. I’d learned that whatever I said would be misquoted, so I simply kept quiet. Once, I made the mistake of telling the truth to a female reporter. She’d looked so young and so in need herself that for a moment I let my guard down. I said, “He needs me.” That’s all. Just those three words.

  Who would have thought that a second of unguarded honesty could cause so much turmoil? The girl—she had certainly not attained the maturity of womanhood—parlayed my small sentence into international turmoil.

  I was right in thinking she herself was needy. Oh, yes, very needy. She needed a story, so she fabricated one. Never mind that she had nothing on which to base her fable.

  I must say that she was good at research. She couldn’t have slept during the two weeks between my remark and the publication of her story. She consulted psychiatrists, self-help gurus, and clergy. She interviewed hordes of rampant feminists. Every famous woman who had ever hinted that she hated men was interviewed and quoted.

  In the end Jimmie and I were portrayed as one sick couple. He was the domineering tyrant in public, but a whimpering child at home. And I was shown to be a cross between steel and an ever-flowing breast.

  When the article came out and caused a sensation, I wanted to hide from the world. I wanted to retreat to the most remote of Jimmie’s twelve houses and never leave. But Jimmie was afraid of nothing—which was the true secret of his success—and he met the questions, the derisive laughter, and worse, the pseudo-therapists who felt it was our “duty” to expose every private thought and feeling to the world, head-on.

  Jimmie just put his arm around me, smiled into the cameras, and laughed in answer to all of their questions. Whatever they asked, he had a joke for a reply.

  “Is it true, Mr. Manville, that your wife is the power behind the throne?” The reporter asking this was smiling at me in a nasty way. Jimmie was six foot two and built like the bull some people said he was, and I am five foot two and round. I’ve never looked like the power behind anyone.

  “She makes all the decisions. I’m just her front man,” Jimmie said, his smile showing his famous teeth. But those of us who knew him saw the coldness in his eyes. Jimmie didn’t like any disparagement of what he considered his. “I couldn’t have done it without her,” he said in that teasing way of his. Few people knew him well enough to know whether or not he was joking.

  Three weeks later, by chance, I saw the cameraman who’d been with the reporter that day. He was a favorite of mine beca