Three Fates
Epilogue
Teaser chapter
When the Lusitania sank, one survivor became a changed man, giving up his life as a petty thief—but keeping the small silver statue he lifted, a family heirloom to future generations. Now, nearly a century later, that priceless heirloom, one of a long-separated set of three, has been stolen. And Malachi, Gideon, and Rebecca Sullivan are determined to recover their great-great-grandfather’s treasure, reunite the Three Fates, and make their fortune.
The quest will take them from their home in Ireland to Helsinki, Prague, and New York, where they will meet a brilliant scholar who will aid them in their hunt—and an ambitious woman who will stop at nothing to acquire the Fates . . .
Three Fates
“Satisfying . . . intriguing [and] romantic. The characters are all different and all likable. You’ll become caught up in their lives, their antics and their emotions and will miss them when they’re gone.”
—The State (Columbia, SC)
“Vivid characters, a strong plot.”
—The Providence (RI) Journal
“The potent mix of suspense and legend conjures a fast-paced and compelling plot.”
—Bath Chronicle
“A rapid pace . . . [A] fascinating read. The Sullivan siblings and their significant others are a varied group that makes for lively scenes and interactions.”
—BookBrowser
Turn the page for a complete list of titles by Nora Roberts and J. D. Robb from the Berkley Publishing Group . . .
Titles by Nora Roberts
HOT ICE
SACRED SINS
BRAZEN VIRTUE
SWEET REVENGE
PUBLIC SECRETS
GENUINE LIES
CARNAL INNOCENCE
DIVINE EVIL
HONEST ILLUSIONS
PRIVATE SCANDALS
HIDDEN RICHES
TRUE BETRAYALS
MONTANA SKY
SANCTUARY
HOMEPORT
THE REEF
RIVER’S END
CAROLINA MOON
THE VILLA
MIDNIGHT BAYOU
THREE FATES
Anthologies
FROM THE HEART A LITTLE MAGIC
The Once Upon Series (with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Marianne Willman)
ONCE UPON A CASTLE
ONCE UPON A STAR
ONCE UPON A DREAM
ONCE UPON A ROSE
ONCE UPON A KISS
Series
Three Sisters Island Trilogy
DANCE UPON THE AIR
HEAVEN AND EARTH
FACE THE FIRE
The Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy
JEWELS OF THE SUN
TEARS OF THE MOON
HEART OF THE SEA
The Born In Trilogy
BORN IN FIRE
BORN IN ICE
BORN IN SHAME
The Chesapeake Bay Saga
SEA SWEPT
RISING TIDES
INNER HARBOR
CHESAPEAKE BLUE
The Dream Trilogy
DARING TO DREAM
HOLDING THE DREAM
FINDING THE DREAM
Titles written as J. D. Robb
NAKED IN DEATH
GLORY IN DEATH
IMMORTAL IN DEATH
RAPTURE IN DEATH
CEREMONY IN DEATH
VENGEANCE IN DEATH
HOLIDAY IN DEATH
CONSPIRACY IN DEATH
LOYALTY IN DEATH
WITNESS IN DEATH
JUDGMENT IN DEATH
BETRAYAL IN DEATH
SEDUCTION IN DEATH
REUNION IN DEATH
PURITY IN DEATH
PORTRAIT IN DEATH
SILENT NIGHT
(with Susan Plunkett, Dee Holmes, and Claire Cross)
OUT OF THIS WORLD
(with Laurell K. Hamilton, Susan Krinard, and Maggie Shayne)
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
THREE FATES
A Jove Book / published by arrangement with G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Copyright © 2002 by Nora Roberts
All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
For information address: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
eISBN : 978-1-101-14387-2
A JOVE BOOK® Jove Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. JOVE and the “J” design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Putnam Inc.
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To Dan and Stacie: May the tapestry of your lives be woven with rosy threads of love, the deep reds of passion, the quiet blues of understanding and contentment, and the bright, bright silver of humor.
PART ONE
Spinning
Oh, what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive!
SIR WALTER SCOTT
One
May 7, 1915
HAPPILY unaware he’d be dead in twenty-three minutes, Hutes, Henry W. Wyley imagined pinching the nicely rounded rump of the young blonde who was directly in his line of sight. It was a perfectly harmless fantasy that did nothing to distress the blonde, or Henry’s wife, and put Henry himself in the best of moods.
With a lap robe tucked around his pudgy knees and a plump belly well satisfied by a late and luxurious lunch, he sat in the bracing sea air with his wife, Edith—whose bum, bless her, was flat as a pancake—enjoying the blonde’s derriere along with a fine cup of Earl Grey.
Henry, a portly man with a robust laugh and an eye for the ladies, didn’t bother to stir himself to join other passengers at the rail for a glimpse of Ireland’s shimmering coast. He’d seen it before and assumed he’d have plenty of opportunities to see it again if he cared to.
Though what fascinated people about cliffs and grass eluded him. Henry was an avowed urbanite who preferred the solidity of steel and concrete. And at this particular moment, he was much more interested in the dainty chocolate cookies served with the tea than the vista.
Particularly when the blonde moved on.
Though Edith fussed at him not to make a pig of himself, he gobbled up three cookies with cheerful relish. Edith, being Edith, refrained. It was a pity she denied herself that small pleasure in the last moments of her life, but she would die as she’d lived, worrying about her husband’s extra tonnage and brushing at the crumbs that scattered carelessly on his shirtfront.