Syrie James - Nocturne

Table of Contents

Praise for the work of SYRIE JAMES

Dracula, My Love

This tale about a fierce, forbidden romance will appeal to even the most jaded romance fan.

Library Journal

A truly remarkable love story that keeps the reader glued to every page.

Feathered Quill

Very romantic... powerfully sensuous... masterfully told.

Single Title Reviews

I loved it! A gripping story, infused with passion, excitement, and emotional turmoil.

American Book Center

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen

A thoughtful, immensely touching romance... well-researched, well-written, and beautifully plotted. Jane Austens Regency World Magazine

Jane comes alive... the reader blindly pulls for the heroine and her dreams of love... offers a deeper understanding of what Austens life might have been like. The Los Angeles Times

Deserves front-runner status in the field of Austen fan-fiction and film. Kirkus Reviews

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bront

James takes the biography of Bront and sketches it into a work of art. A cant-miss novel for Bront fans and historical fiction buffs alike.

Sacramento Book Review

A captivating and entertaining read. James is so winning in her narrative style that by the end of the tale the reader will be convinced that she, in fact, has discovered Charlottes secret diary.

Feathered Quill

Brings the beloved author to life as never before... This fascinating novel is a delight to read.

Wichita Falls Times Record Review

ALSO BY SYRIE JAMES:

Dracula, My Love:
The Secret Journals of Mina Harker
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bront
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen

I dedicate this book to
all my readersevery single one of you.
Thank you for your support,
the blogs and reviews you write,
and the wonderful messages you send me,
sharing all the ways in which my novels
have touched you.
It means the world to me,
and inspires me more than I can say.

CHAPTER 1

I T BEGAN SNOWING AT NINE. Delicate flakes were still sifting down two hours later as Nicole Whitcomb reluctantly loaded her carry-on suitcase and small backpack into her rental car and slammed the trunk. She took one last second to appreciate the hushed descent of the gentle white flakes against the iron gray sky and to drink in the picturesque view of the snow-capped hotel against the backdrop of the ski slopes and surrounding forest.

I wish I could live here , Nicole thought for the hundredth time, as she inhaled deeply the crisp, pine-scented mountain air. She hated to leave all this beauty to go back to the city, and to the stress and tedium of her job. After brushing off the accumulation of snow from her front and back windshields, she unlocked the car, slipped behind the wheel, knocked the snow off her fur-lined boots, and started the engine.

Nicole knew she had to hurry. The weather report had said a big storm was coming in to the Steamboat Springs area. When shed called the Denver airport, however, they said it was sunny and clear, and assured her that her flight to San Jose was departing as scheduled. She figured it shouldnt take more than forty-five minutes up the mountain road to reach Rabbit Ears Pass, the first of several summits en route. All the roads were open, so after that it should be an easy three-hour drive to Denver.

It was cold inside the car and Nicole shivered as she turned on the windshield wipers, heater, and defroster. Leaving on her fuzzy light blue scarf and hat, she strapped on her seat belt, exited the parking lot, and drove through the quaint Steamboat Springs ski village. There was a good two feet of snow on the ground in the uncleared areas, but so far only a light dusting on the road. Even so, as she turned onto Highway 40 and headed south, she carefully moderated her speed. It had been awhile since shed driven in these conditions.

It was her first time in Colorado, a place shed always longed to visitand it was as beautiful as shed imagined it would be. Shed always loved the snow. During the years shed lived in Seattle, it had been a hop, skip, and jump to the nearest ski area, and she couldnt count how many delightful hours shed spent on the slopes with her friends. Since she moved back to California three years ago, however, shed given up all that.

At the thought of that move and the reason behind it, Nicoles stomach knotted with anxiety. The memory of that awful day and all that happened afterward still filled her with self-recrimination and doubt. Would she ever be able to forget?

Nicole frowned, shoving the thought away, determined not to let it spoil her mood. Shed just spent a wonderful long weekend with dear friends she hadnt seen in years. When her best friend, Chloe, had announced her intention to have a ski resort wedding, Nicole had laughed at firstthe idea had seemed ludicrous and impracticalbut in the end it had been fabulous.

The wedding had taken place high atop a ski slope at Steamboat Springs, with the bridal party in formal wear and everyone on skis. After the ceremony, most of the people had ridden the chairlift back down, but Nicoleon a dare from one of the groomsmenhad blithely skied down the mountain. It had involved tucking her long bridesmaids dress into her thermal leggings, which Chloe had laughingly insisted was scandalous and beneath the dignity of a twenty-nine-year-old woman. But Nicole hadnt cared; she couldnt resist the challenge.

The newlyweds and most of the other guests had left after two days, but Nicole stayed one more day to go skiing on her ownand what a blast it had been! Sailing down a white mountain with the crisp air in her face always felt like heaven. She couldnt wait to show the pictures to her coworkers and to the kids at the museum and the library that weekend.

The car had warmed up now. Nicole removed her hat and gloves, glancing briefly in the rearview mirror to smooth back her long, wavy, reddish-gold hair. Shed left the town of Steamboat Springs far behind. The snow was falling faster. Nicole increased the speed of the windshield wipers, focusing her attention on the road. For the first time, she began to wonder if shed made a mistake in staying the extra day. The drive back

The road began to climb through a wooded area now. Nicole had read that the highway gained an incredible 2,500 feet in about seven miles during this stretch, as it made its way up the side of the Gore Range through Routt National Forest toward the pass. The view here should be expansive, but instead it was obscured by low, dark clouds.

Nicole felt another stab of worry as she crept along. Shed been lucky to rent a car with four-wheel drive, but it wouldnt help if she encountered black ice. Worse yet, it was becoming more and more difficult to see. The storm had come in way faster than shed expected. The wind howled. There had been a couple of cars behind her at the beginning, but theyd long since disappeared from view, and shed only passed a few cars coming the other way.

Should I turn back? Nicole wondered. She didnt want to get stuck on this road in the middle of a blizzardbut she couldnt miss her flight. Shed already been gone five days, and shed left a ton of work on her desk. She had to relieve the neighbor taking care of her cat. She didnt want to pay for another nights lodging or go through the hassle of changing her airline ticket. No, she decided; shed press on. The hotel desk clerk had been confident that shed be over the pass and out of this weather system before she knew it.