Fern Michaels - To Taste the Wine

Books by Fern Michaels

Southern Comfort
To Taste the Wine
Sins of the Flesh
Sins of Omission
Return to Sender
Mr. and Miss Anonymous
Up Close and Personal
Fool Me Once
Picture Perfect
About Face
The Future Scrolls
Kentucky Sunrise
Kentucky Heat
Kentucky Rich
Plain Jane
Charming Lily
What You Wish For
The Guest List
Listen to Your Heart
Celebration
Yesterday
Finders Keepers
Annies Rainbow
Saras Song
Vegas Sunrise
Vegas Heat
Vegas Rich
Whitefire
Wish List
Dear Emily

The Godmothers Series:

Exclusive
The Scoop

The Sisterhood Novels:

Home Free
Dj Vu
Cross Roads
Game Over
Deadly Deals
Vanishing Act
Razor Sharp
Under the Radar
Final Justice
Collateral Damage
Fast Track
Hokus Pokus
Hide and Seek
Free Fall
Lethal Justice
Sweet Revenge
The Jury
Vendetta
Payback
Weekend Warriors

Anthologies:

Holiday Magic
Snow Angels
Silver Bells
Comfort and Joy
Sugar and Spice
Let It Snow
A Gift of Joy
Five Golden Rings
Deck the Halls
Jingle All the Way

FERN
MICHAELS

To Taste
the Wine

All copyrighted material within is
Attributor Protected.

KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2011 by MRK Productions
Fern Michaels is a registered trademark of First Draft, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

All Kensington titles, imprints, and distributed lines are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotion, premiums, fund-raising, educational, or institutional use.

Special book excerpts or customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write or phone the office of the Kensington Special Sales Manager: Kensington Publishing Corp., 119 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018. Attn. Special Sales Department. Phone: 1-800-221-2647.

Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

eISBN-13: 978-0-7582-6810-5
eISBN-10: 0-7582-6810-6

First Kensington Trade Paperback Printing: March 2011
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in the United States of America

T here was a bite of oncoming winter in the air, and a chill wind gusted down the narrow, poorly lit alley. Chelsea Myles shrank from the noisy scurrying of rats and tried to ignore the stench from the open sewer. The brick walls of the adjacent buildings were dripping with green mold and moisture, and she shivered involuntarily, looking down to avoid the sight. One of her shoes, thin-soled and worn, was soaked from a careless step into a puddle.

It had rained again. It always seemed to rain. Chelsea curled her full upper lip and scowled. Rain and dampness only added to the mildew rotting her cheaply made stage costumes. Already there were times on stage when it was almost impossible to say her lines without sneezing or choking. Angrily, she kicked the aged trunk by her side and gasped in dismay when one of the slats split, revealing its contents. She just knew Uncle Cosmo had no tools or expertise to repair the trunk. This would be just one more inconvenience to tolerate.

Chelsea crossed her arms over her breasts and stamped her foot. What was she, a respectable, dedicated stage actress, doing with Cosmos fifth-rate troupe, playing for pennies at local street fairs? Unlike the others, she came by her talent naturally, memorizing lines, with comprehension and ease. Yes, she was too good for this, much too goodand Uncle Cosmo had no right to keep belittling her talent. Chelsea bristled as she remembered how hed told her she should stop fooling herself and recognize that it was her face and not her ability that made her a favorite with the audience, especially the male audience. Chelsea, darling child, he would declaim, posturing dramatically whenever she complained about the costumes, an actress of real ability could wear flour sacking and convince the audience that she was Queen Elizabeth herself!

And what would he know about actresses? Chelsea grumbled, pushing the various articles back through the hole in the trunk. All Uncle Cosmo wants is a big street audience so he can have their pockets picked while I mesmerize the poor, dumb fools. She thought again with distaste of the scanty costumes Cosmo demanded she wear, which revealed either too much cleavage or leg. She sniffed, feeling terribly sorry for herself. At twenty-three, she wasnt getting any younger; Uncle Cosmo, who had taken her under his wing at eleven when she was orphaned, had promised that by the age of twenty shed be a famous actress with all of Europe at her feet. Fool that she was, shed believed him. She was no smarter than the homely widows Cosmo romanced and cheated out of their money.

Her self-pitying reminiscences were interrupted when Uncle Cosmos latest protge ran into the alley. Molly was an urchin, pure and simple. She could barely speak the Kings English, but Cosmo had promised to make her an actress. More likely, Chelsea thought with an unladylike snort, hed make Molly a slick little pickpocket. Molly, slow down! she cried sharply. Watch you dont splash muddy water on my skirts!

Yes, miss, but Mr. Perragutt told me to tell you something, and he said to do it right away, like. Its urgent, it is!

Theres nothing Uncle Cosmo could tell me thats urgent unless its that the queen herself has come to watch our performance this evening. A sudden jolt of panic stiffened Chelseas spine. Its not the law, is it, Molly? I told Uncle Cosmo hed gone too far when he marked the constables wife for Swift Billy to snatch her purse!

No, no, nothin like that, Miss Chelsea, Molly assured her importantly. Mr. Perragutt said theres a real gent in the audience tonight. Worth a few pounds, by the look of him, he is. Mr. Perragutt said he could be very important to all of us.

Important for the sake of his wallet, he means. And whoever he is, hes no gentleman if hes come slumming to this part of London to watch a sad lot like ourselves.

Molly seemed disappointed in the way Chelsea received her news. Anyways, Mr. Perragutt said youd know what to do.

Uncle Cosmo means that while Im on stage I should make an effort to capture the mans attention so Swift Billy can do his work, thats the beginning and end of it, Chelsea told her disgustedly. Wake up, Molly, get your head out of the clouds. Youre a nice girl; you dont belong with Uncle Cosmo and the rest of us.