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  FOR PASSION AND INTRIGUE, BEAUTY AND DANGER, READ THESE BELOVED NOVELS FROM NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

  JUDE DEVERAUX

  ALWAYS

  “Engaging … a delightful otherworldly fantasy.”

  —TheBestReviews.com

  “This third chapter in [Darci Monroe’s] life is by far the best…. Cannot be put down until the last word is read…. Truly amazing.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  FOREVER AND ALWAYS

  “An intriguing paranormal tale … loaded with action.”

  —TheBestReviews.com

  FOREVER …

  “Irresistibly eerie, yet decidedly a love story, Deveraux’s offering bursts with high-spirited repartee and bizarre but bewitching characters.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  “[A] modern fairy tale…. This is Deveraux at her most pleasurable.”

  —Booklist

  “Exciting … filled with humor, romance, and the paranormal. Settle in for some exhilarating reading!”

  —Romantic Times

  Acclaim for Jude Deveraux’s splendid yuletide bestseller

  HOLLY

  “A fast-paced tale with more than one deadly twist…. [A] sexy story.”

  —Library Journal

  “Readers who like their Christmas on the hot side should go straight to Holly…. Romance with a dash of mystery and threat.”

  —Barnesandnoble.com

  And for her other unforgettable New York Times bestsellers

  WILD ORCHIDS

  “A not-to-be-missed novel … that will keep you on the edge of your chair.”

  —Rendezvous

  “Forget garden-variety ghosts and poltergeists—the devil himself makes an appearance in Deveraux’s romantic suspense novel…. [Deveraux] does a superb job of building up to her chilling conclusion.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Unlike anything Deveraux has written previously … uniquely intriguing … always entertaining.”

  —Romantic Times

  “Incredible, wonderful, fantastic, superb…. An unforgettable read.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  THE MULBERRY TREE

  “Deveraux’s touch is gold…. Irresistible.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “A twisted, unpredictable story….”

  —Romantic Times

  “Mystery, romance, and good cooking converge in [The Mulberry Tree].”

  —People

  THE SUMMERHOUSE

  “Marvelously compelling reading…. Deeply satisfying.”

  —Houston Chronicle

  “Deveraux … blends three love stories into an emotionally stirring novel.”

  —The State (Columbia, NC)

  “Deveraux is at the top of her game.”

  —Booklist

  “Entertaining summer reading.”

  —The Port St. Lucie News (FL)

  TEMPTATION

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

  —Harriet Klausner, Barnesandnoble.com

  “[A] satisfying story.”

  —Booklist

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

  —Publishers Weekly

  BOOKS BY JUDE DEVERAUX

  The Velvet Promise

  Wishes

  Highland Velvet

  Mountain Laurel

  Velvet Song

  The Duchess

  Velvet Angel

  Eternity

  Sweetbriar

  Sweet Liar

  Counterfeit Lady

  The Invitation

  Lost Lady

  Remembrance

  River Lady

  The Heiress

  Twin of Fire

  Legend

  Twin of Ice

  An Angel for Emily

  The Temptress

  The Blessing

  The Raider

  High Tide

  The Princess

  Temptation

  The Awakening

  The Summerhouse

  The Maiden

  The Mulberry Tree

  The Taming

  Forever …

  The Conquest

  Wild Orchids

  A Knight in Shining Armor

  Forever and Always

  Holly

  First Impressions

  Jude Deveraux

  Carolina Isle

  The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as “unsold and destroyed.” Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this “stripped book.”

  An Original Publication of POCKET BOOKS

  POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2006 by Deveraux, Inc.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-0972-1

  ISBN-10: 1-4165-0972-0

  eISBN-13: 978-1-4391-8386-1

  This Pocket Books paperback edition January 2006

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  POCKET and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Cover design by Lisa Litwack

  Cover photograph © Gen Nishino/Getty Images

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  For information regarding special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-800-456-6798 or [email protected]

  Carolina Isle

  Chapter One

  “I WILL NEVER MARRY DAVID TREDWELL!”

  Ariel Weatherly looked in the mirror and rehearsed her speech to her mother. “I am twenty-four years old and I will choose my own husband.” No, she thought. That’s not right. “I have chosen the man I want to marry and I will do so.” Yes, better. Much better.

  There was a soft knock on the door.

  On impulse, Ariel messed up her hair. She liked what she saw.

  “Come in,” Ariel said, and a maid opened the door.

  “Your mother would like to see you downstairs.”

  “Yes, of course,” Ariel replied with a sigh.

  The maid looked behind her to make sure Mrs. Weatherly wasn’t nearby. “I like your hair,” she said, then closed the door.

  Ariel grabbed her brush and smoothed her hair, then she smiled. She wasn’t sure yet, but she may have come up with a way to get out of marrying David, to marry the man she truly loved, and to keep from being disinherited. Still smiling, she left her room and started down the stairs. If only Sara would agree. She must! Ariel thought. If she doesn’t …

  But Ariel couldn’t think of that now. She only knew that she’d use whatever means she had at her disposal to get her cousin to agree to her plan.

  Chapter Two

  SARA READ ARIEL’S LETTER, THEN READ it again. She couldn’t believe her eyes. As always, the letter was written with a fountain pen on thick paper that Sara was sure cost half her year’s salary. But it wasn’t the extravagance that shocked her; she was used to that.

  Ariel wanted to trade places with Sara. She wanted to be Sara, and Sara to be her.

  “She wants to be me?” Sara whispered i