A Dash of Romance

3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

3 shallots, sliced and tossed with a little brown sugar

1 large garlic clove, minced fine

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp brut champagne or sherry

2 tbsp champagne vinegar

3 tbsp white truffle oil

Pinch of salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups artichoke hearts, marinated in oil and drained

1 cup baby arugula, washed and drained

Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced shallots and sauté slowly until they start to caramelize. Once the shallots start to achieve a deep amber color, toss in the garlic and sauté for one minute.

Remove pan from heat.

Whisk together lemon juice, champagne or sherry and champagne vinegar. While whisking briskly, slowly drizzle in the white truffle oil. Add salt and a grind or two of black pepper.

Put the artichokes into the pan with the shallots and garlic and heat very gently over low heat, tossing the artichokes to fully integrate the flavor of the shallots and garlic.

Remove artichokes, shallots and garlic, placing them in a decorative bowl. Pour the champagne and truffle oil mixture over them. Toss again.

Add arugula. Toss again.

Serve warm or chilled.

Contents

Prologue (#ua1202262-746c-5cc7-8fdc-bc27fbf94c2c)

Chapter One (#u496b4a9c-29d4-5103-8fce-e07c9c7137b3)

Chapter Two (#u6be73b9c-abfb-5df2-bea7-83b903305b3a)

Chapter Three (#uded35895-a7a1-50b8-a62b-cbc52da76602)

Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Prologue

Twenty-Five Years Ago

“What a shame,” said Virginia Porter, director of the Barrie Home for Children, looking at the little girls who had lost their parents in a car crash just one week ago. The little angels were sleeping now, but they had spent more restless hours awake and crying than Virginia could count. She’d walked the floors with them every night. If any of her hair had remained brunette at the beginning of the week, it was all gray now. “So young to be all alone in the world. It’s a terrible, terrible shame.”

The air conditioner kicked on, sending, as if on cue, a cold breeze into the room.

“Do you think we’ll be able to keep them together?” Sister Gladys asked, kneading her hands in front of her. “I can’t bear the idea of separating them.”

Virginia sighed. “Of course we’ll continue to try and find some next of kin, but it’s not looking hopeful at this point. We’ll have to start thinking about placement.” She frowned, already worried about how little control she might have over the matter. Like Sister Gladys, Virginia wanted to keep the girls together, but it would be hard to refuse a good home to one if the parents wanted just one child. At least the girls were young enough, at thirteen or fourteen months, that they probably wouldn’t remember any of this later. “We’ll do the very best that we can.”

“They’ll need each other, Miss Porter,” Sister Gladys insisted. If possible, she was even more tender-hearted than Virginia. “They’ve lost their parents so horribly, so suddenly. Surely we can make sure they keep each other. Please.”

The little redheaded girl, Rose, stirred in her sleep and Virginia bent down and stroked her hair to soothe her back to sleep. If she woke up, she’d cry…They could already tell that Rose was the most sensitive one of the three.

“We’ll try.” Virginia said softly, smoothing the child’s copper curls as she spoke. “I promise you, we’ll try.”

Chapter One

“Warren Harker, age, forty-one, height six feet two, hair, black, eyes, blue, educated at Stanford, but got his master’s from Harvard Business School.”

Rose Tilden listened incredulously as her boss, Marta Serragno, of Serragno Catering, listed the attributes of the man who had hired them to cater his party tonight.

“Has worked in real estate development and construction since 1988, established Harker Companies in 1992. Likes his meat rare, his business cold and his women hot. Bank portfolio, four hundred and twenty-seven million, give or take a million.” Marta licked her lips. “And soon he’s going to be mine.” She turned her dark eyes on Rose. “You can count on it.”

“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” Rose commented.

“Do you doubt me?”