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  songbird

  BOOK ONE

  THE HARRISON DUET

  Syrie James

  ALSO BY SYRIE JAMES:

  Propositions: Book Two, The Harrison Duet

  The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen

  The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen

  The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë

  Dracula, My Love

  Nocturne

  Forbidden

  PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF SYRIE JAMES

  Nocturne

  “You will love this beautiful and mysterious story, full of love and longing, but with a passion that sizzles through the pages. The characters are bold and imaginative, and our hero Michael is everything a woman looks for in a man, but just a bit more.” —The Romance Reviews

  “Lyrical, lush, and intensely romantic, this infinitely touching, bittersweet story will weave its way into readers’ hearts, with its complex characters and compelling emotions sure to linger long after the last page has been turned.” —Library Journal

  “Brilliant, couldn’t put it down…a wonderful read with a beautiful romance that pulls at the heart strings. A must read for any romance fan.” —Book Chick City

  “What could be more romantic than getting snowbound with a dark and mysterious stranger?...Nocturne is the kind of book that makes you want to turn off the phone and the television so you can do nothing but read.”—Barnes and Noble.com

  Dracula, My Love

  “Syrie James weaves a tale of quite a different Dracula: a mouth-wateringly handsome, powerful, cultured, and passionate one. And…I...Loved...It! This is a gripping story, infused with passion, excitement and emotional turmoil. It sheds a whole new light on Count Dracula. In true über-vampire style, he completely outdoes Edward Cullen and Buffy’s Angel in the sexy tortured soul stakes. This vampire can bite my neck any time!”” —American Book Center

  “Only Mina Harker, who once fell under the seductive spell of literature’s most famous vampire, knows Dracula’s true story. James gives readers an intriguing alternate theory as to the events that occurred in Stoker’s classic horror tale while at the same time delivering a spooky yet thoroughly romantic love story.” —Chicago Tribune

  “Rich with emotion, feelings, and passion…a page-turner of a book...You come to crave the heat of Dracula and Mina’s passion while shivering from the cold and lonely torment of Dracula’s eternal existence.” —Suite 101 Book Reviews

  “Extremely romantic! A truly beautiful story of love, deception, obsession, survival, and sacrifice. I was riveted, and could not put it down!” —That Artsy Reader Girl

  The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen

  “This fascinating novel will make readers swear there was such a man as Mr. Ashford and that there is such a memoir…Tantalizing, tender, and true to the Austen mythos…highly recommended.” —Library Journal, starred review

  “The reader blindly pulls for the heroine and her dreams of love, hoping against history that Austen might yet enjoy the satisfactions of romance... offers a deeper understanding of what Austen’s life might have been like.” —The Los Angeles Times

  “Syrie James is a fine story-teller, with a sensitive ear for the Austenian voice and a clear passion for research. The result is a thoughtful, immensely touching romance that does justice to its subject and will delight anyone who feels, as Syrie James does, that Jane Austen couldn’t possibly have written with such insight without having had a great romance of her own.” —Jane Austen’s Regency World Magazine

  “You don’t have to be a Jane Austen expert to enjoy this book. You just need to be in the mood for a page-turning, romantic story filled with warm characters, great passions, enjoyable language, and a terrific plot. And it’s to James’s credit that her novel reads a lot like—what else?—a classic Austen novel.” —Goodreads

  The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë

  “For fans of biographical tales and romance, Syrie’s story of Charlotte offers it all: longing and yearning, struggle and success, the searing pain of immeasurable loss, and the happiness of a love that came unbidden and unsought. I did not want this story to end.” —Jane Austen’s World

  “James takes the biography of Brontë and sketches it into a work of art…specific, passionate details give the book its main pull…A can’t-miss novel for Brontë fans and historical fiction buffs alike.” —Sacramento Book Review

  “Through Charlotte’s diary, the reader is privy to her inspirations and heartaches, her secret jealousies, and more importantly, her muse...The revelation of Charlotte’s romantic relationships—her shocking infatuation with a married man and the evolution of her relationship with her father’s curate and future husband, Arthur Bell Nichols—is fascinating. A must-buy!” —Romance Junkies

  “I was swept away. James’s book provoked tears at times, and a delicious romantic shiver at others. It’s truly masterful.” —Meditative Meanderings

  The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen

  “A novel within a novel honoring what we love most about Austen: her engaging stories, her rapier wit, and her swoon-worthy romance. James’s pitch perfect, brilliantly crafted prose will have you enchanted and in awe of her mastery until the very last page. 5 out of 5 Regency Stars!” —Austenprose

  “This richly imagined Jane Austen ‘road novel’ is such a page turner...A standout addition to the crowded archive of Austen homages.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

  “Syrie James has surpassed herself…She did a brilliant job both at delivering a well-designed plot echoing Jane Austen’s voice – but modernizing it for a present-day audience – and at enclosing it in an intriguing frame of quest and romance…an incredible gripping story…it’ll be one of your favourite reads in 2013!” –My Jane Austen Book Club

  Forbidden

  “Hands down the most fascinating book I have read in quite a while... As the characters develop and the story unfolds you will find yourself wrapped up in their world, indulging in every kiss and holding your breath with every twist.” —Luxury Reading

  “A YA novel that hits all the right notes... If you enjoy angels, ‘forbidden’ romance and dashing heroes, then this should be added to your TBR.” —USA TODAY

  “A YA paranormal fantasy gem! I LOVED IT! Young adults who enjoyed the Twilight series will be just as intrigued.” —Book Reader’s Heaven

  “Full of intrigue, romance and humor …[and] very much about trust, discovery, and love… I was entertained by the inspired prose, witty dialogue, the humorous actions and reactions, and of course, the honest, pure character development…This may be written for Young Adults, however, might I also suggest, for the young at heart?” —Austenprose

  Author’s Foreword

  Dear Reader,

  It is with great pleasure that I share with you this newly edited edition of my very first published romance novel.

  This story is especially meaningful to me because it was inspired in part by my relationship with the man I love. Just like Desiree and Kyle, Bill and I had a whirlwind courtship. But we lived in different cities and were faced with the challenges of a long-distance relationship. From the very start it was difficult, and when he moved many hundreds of miles further away, it became more difficult still. I’ll never forget how devastated I was each time he or I had to get on a plane and leave. But from the moment of our first meeting, we each recognized our missing other half. We’ve been married now for thirty-seven wonderful years, and I am grateful for every minute.

  I wrote Songbird in 1985. This gently edited version better reflects my current sensibilities as a novelist, but the story remains unchanged—and it is like a little time capsule. While re-reading it, I couldn’t help but smile fondly at the descriptions of clothing, songs, popular recording artists, and at every
mention of technology. Car phones? Phone booths? Who can even remember such things?

  No matter how much the world changes around us, however, the fundamental things in our lives do not change. We work hard. We have dreams. We fall in love. We experience the joys of a new relationship, and risk our hearts on the road to happiness.

  I hope, as this story takes you back to an earlier time and place, that it will touch your heart and make you smile.

  Happy reading!

  Syrie James

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  “Songbird” Copyright © 1986 by Syrie Astrahan James

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Syrie James is the bestselling author of eight critically acclaimed novels, including The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë, Dracula My Love, Nocturne, Forbidden, and Propositions. Her books have been translated into eighteen foreign languages. She lives with her family in Los Angeles, California. Syrie welcomes you to follow her on facebook and twitter, and to visit her website at www.syriejames.com.

  One

  The song ended. Desiree leaned forward on the high stool, bringing her lips close to the padded microphone. “That was Rita Coolidge singing the hit from her new album, ‘Be Mine Tonight.’ Before that we heard from Johnny Mathis with ‘So in Love with You.’ ”

  She checked the pie-sized clock on the wall above the console. “It’s twenty-five past three here on this hot and sunny Wednesday afternoon in June. You’re listening to KICK Anaheim, 102 on your FM dial. This is Desiree Germain keeping you company for that long drive home.”

  Right on cue, the first soft notes of the next song began to play. Desiree removed the massive black headphones and lifted her toffee-colored curls off her shoulders, letting the cool air from the overhead vent flow freely around her neck. A fire-engine red bumper sticker affixed to the window above the console caught her eye: SPEND THE NIGHT WITH DESIREE...KICK 102 FM!

  Time for a new slogan, she thought, carefully peeling the length of vinyl off the glass and tossing it in the trash. Seven years of working evenings and nights, and she had finally made it: Prime time, daytime radio in Southern California. So whatever you do, she told herself, don’t blow it.

  She turned up the volume control, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes, hoping the mellow tune’s soothing rhythm would help calm her senses. It’s the same job as before, only the time has changed. Forget about Arbitron and shares and rating points. Forget about the hundreds of would-be deejays standing in the wings, chomping at the bit, just waiting for you to mess up. Put it out of your mind. You’re good—one of the best jocks this station has—or Sam wouldn’t have given you the afternoon drive. Just relax and enjoy yourself.

  She heard the studio door open and straightened up. Tom, the station’s part-time gofer, rushed in, his forehead perspiring beneath a tangle of wiry red hair.

  “Man, it’s hot out there,” he said, fanning his youthful face with a stack of small newsprint sheets. “The air conditioner can barely keep up. You’re lucky—your cubicle is nice and cool.”

  “I know. I am lucky. And cubicle is right.” Desiree glanced about the studio with a smile. It was tiny, the equipment was out-dated, and dog-eared posters of Elvis, The Beatles, Kenny Rogers, and Streisand were plastered across the dingy beige walls. She knew that some people got claustrophobic in elevators, yet she was stuck in this microscopic space for four straight hours every day—and she loved it.

  “Here’s the latest, fresh off the wire.” Tom handed her the stack of newsprint.

  “Anything good?”

  “What do you think this is, Sixty Minutes?”

  Desiree leafed through the pile of news briefs, reading some of the titles aloud. “‘New smoking control law giving people nicotine fits.’ Cute, but no cigar. ‘Millionaire owner of laundromat chain taken to the cleaners in palimony suit.”’ She winced. “Why do we do these, anyway? We’re not a news station.”

  “Don’t ask me.” Tom shrugged as he turned to leave. “Sam likes this kind of stuff. And one must never argue with the P.D.” Before shutting the door, he scrunched up his face and mimicked their program director’s gravelly voice. “Above all else—Be Entertaining.”

  Desiree laughed as she slipped on her headphones. “I’ll give it my best shot. Today’s news can use all the help it can get.” A familiar refrain signaled the end of the song. She pushed the start button on the deck to the left of the console. A glance at the digital countdown timer told her she had fifteen seconds. Just then Tom pressed his face up against the glass of the window above the console, staring in at her with distorted fleshy lips and huge bug-eyes.

  She smothered another laugh, dropping her voice an octave as she said into the mike, “If you’re sitting in traffic out there right now, feeling that tension creeping up your spine, here’s the perfect way to get rid of all that stress. Just imagine that I’m sitting right next to you, giving your shoulders a nice, long, intimate massage.” As soon as she said the words, she cringed inwardly. Nice, long, intimate massage? Good grief! Did I really just say that?

  The commercial break began. Desiree again plucked off her headphones and glanced up at Tom, who was rolling his eyes as he walked away, mouthing the word “outrageous” at her through the glass.

  Outrageous. That’s what the reporter from the Los Angeles Times had written about her in this morning’s review of her new afternoon show. “One outrageous, sexy woman, whose luscious, lusty voice could, with one well-placed sigh, bring half the male population of Southern California to its knees.”

  She laughed softly to herself. Luscious? Lusty? Hardly. She believed she was reasonably attractive. Steve, her ex-husband, had once told her she had eyes like molten gold and a face like a cameo. Her hair seemed to match her personality. It brushed her shoulders in unruly waves, a blend of vibrant shades from light brown to red to dark mahogany. But somehow, she’d found, her deep voice led people to expect someone entirely different: a tall, voluptuous blond bombshell who walked, talked, and breathed sex. No way on earth could she ever hope to fit that image.

  She was petite in every sense of the word. She possessed curves in all the right places, but no matter how hard she tried, she didn’t quite reach the five-foot-one-inch mark. Thirty years old, she had endured a lifetime of jokes about the discrepancy between her voice and her looks. She’d seen the disappointment in people’s eyes too many times when they met her and discovered she wasn’t the sex symbol they’d imagined.

  Still, her voice was her biggest asset. Sam insisted that teasing banter meant higher ratings. The listeners couldn’t see her, after all. What harm could there be in playing along?

  She scanned the news brief she’d selected, waiting for the commercial break to end, then threw the mike switch to program and turned up the volume.

  “Here’s an item of interest for all you soda-pop guzzlers out there. Looks like the new diet soft drink, Sparkle Light, is losing steam. In an unexpected move yesterday, the parent corporation, privately owned, multimillion dollar Harrison Industries, announced plans for Sparkle Light Bottling Company to go public.” She went on to read the experts’ analysis, which pointed a finger at a suspected drop in product sales, then laid the news bulletin up on the counter.

  “If you’ve always wanted to own stock in a soft-drink company, this might be your big chance. But let’s hope Sparkle Light picks up in a hurry, or you may find yourself making a big deposit, no-return investment on a warehouse full of pop without any fizz.”

  She played a
groaning sound-effects tape. Next, grabbing a large pink index card from the board above her console, she announced it was time to play the Trivia Game. “I hope you’re all next to your phones. The number to call is 555-KICK. I’ll take caller number twelve.”

  All five lines on the multi-tap phone in her studio lit up with magical precision. Desiree smiled. The immediate response to contests on the afternoon drive never ceased to amaze her. This was the time of day to be on the air!

  “The caller who can answer today’s trivia question correctly will receive a complimentary dinner for two at Maximilian’s in Huntington Beach.” She read a blurb about the restaurant, then punched the buttons on the phone one at a time, counting out loud and disconnecting each line in sequence.