Summer Secrets by Barbara Freethy

Author:Barbara Freethy [Freethy, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Onyx
Published: 2000-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

* * *

After picking up Kate's car, they drove to the other side of the island, to an isolate building out on the bluffs. And it wasn't just any building, but a castle with a drawbridge, towers and turrets.

"What the hell is that?" Tyler asked.

"The Castleton Castle, also known as Frank's Folly. Frank Castleton was one of the original settlers on the island. He built the castle on a whim. At one time he envisioned an entire island filled with castles." Kate gave him a smile. "Fortunately no one else shared his vision. It's not just a castle; it's also a lighthouse. Do you want to go inside?"

"Sure."

"No one lives here anymore," she said as they got out of the car. "Frank was the only, one who actually spent time in the castle. Apparently he'd hoped for a Cinderella to share it with, but as the legend goes he was more of a toad than a prince."

Tyler followed her across the drawbridge that lay over a dry gully, which he surmised was supposed to be a moat. The huge wooden door opened to Kate's gentle push. It was dark and dusty inside.

"There's a kitchen down here, a small dining area, and a bedroom. But the best room is upstairs." Kate took his hand and led him up a staircase that opened onto one very large, round room. The walls were glass, and the only furniture was a wooden bench window seat that encircled the room. The rising moon sent shafts of light through the windows, creating an atmosphere of dark, romantic intimacy.

"What do you think? Doesn't it feel magical?" Kate asked, doing an impulsive little twirl that reminded him of Amelia.

He chased that thought right out of his mind. The last person he wanted to think about right now was Amelia. At least he was doing one thing Mark had asked him to do; he was sticking close to Kate.

"It does," he agreed, but he had a feeling the magic had more to do with Kate than with the room.

She walked over to the windows. "The Sound is there. You'll be able to see the water when the light goes on."

"There's a light?"

"It's automatic. It comes on around nine o'clock in the summer. But I prefer it like this, the moon dancing around the room, lighting up the shadows."

There was something about her words that gave him pause, and then it clicked. "The Moon Dancer. This is where the name came from, isn't it?"

Kate nodded. "Yes. This was my mom's favorite place. We always came at twilight, just as the moon was coming up. She'd tell us stories about the island. She was born here and knew all the history. Sometimes we'd bring a picnic. There are a lot of memories here," she said with a wistful sigh.

"Of both your parents or just your mother."

"Just my mom. My dad never came with us. For him, the magic was always out on the water."

"Am I trespassing on sacred female ground, then?"

"I think it will be all right.

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