Free Deception by Amanda Quick

other?”
    “Yes, of course,” Olympia said hastily. She hoped she had not sounded too terribly naive.
    “And besides, this was a very special beach. It was sacred to a certain island deity who is said to have taken pity on the lovers.”
    Olympia was still not entirely convinced that making love in the sand was a particularly sound notion, but she certainly did not intend to argue the matter. “Do go on, sir. Tell me the rest of the legend.”
    “One night the lovers were discovered by the woman’s irate father. He killed the young man.”
    “How terrible. What happened?”
    “The young woman was grief-stricken, naturally. She waded out into the sea and disappeared. The deity in charge of the beach was outraged. He punished the young woman’s father by turning all the sand on the beach into pearls.”
    “That was a punishment?” Olympia asked, startled.
    “Yes.” Jared smiled coolly. “The man was so excited about the discovery of the pearl beach that he went home to rouse the rest of his family. But the deity cast a magic spell over the cove, making it invisible to all those who searched for it.”
    “So this pearl beach was never found?”
    Jared shook his head. “To this day the islanders still talk of it. Many have searched for it. But no one has ever seen it. It’s said that it can only be discovered by a pair of lovers whose passion is as great as the two who used to meet there and make love in the moonlight.”
    Olympia sighed. “Just imagine risking all for love, Mr. Chillhurst.”
    “I have begun to believe that a great passion is like a great legend,” Jared said quietly. “It is worth any risk.”
    A shiver coursed through Olympia. She felt first hot and then cold. “You are no doubt correct, sir. In any case, I thank you for the tale. I have never heard it and it is a lovely legend.”
    Jared looked deeply into her eyes. Something dark and disturbing moved in his own gaze. “Yes,” he said softly. “Quite lovely.”
    In that moment Olympia could almost believe that he was speaking of her, not the legend. A sense of excitement stirred deep within her. It was similar to the thrill she got when she pursued a legend, but it was far more powerful. It left her feeling oddly shaken, a little giddy.
    “Mr. Chillhurst… ?”
    Jared removed his watch from his pocket. “I see it is very late,” he said with obvious regret. “It is time I went back to my cottage. Perhaps tomorrow night I shall have an opportunity to describe a rather unusual custom that was practiced by the inhabitants of another South Seas island which I chanced to visit.”
    “I should like that very much,” Olympia breathed.
    “Good night, Miss Wingfield. I shall see you at breakfast.”
    “Good night, Mr. Chillhurst.”
    A shimmering sense of longing had welled up within Olympia as she accompanied Jared to the front door. She had stood watching as he walked off into the night and became one with it.
    And then she had gone to bed and dreamed of being kissed by Jared on a beach scattered with pearls.
    Now, in the bright light of day, she listened to him tell tales to her nephews and realized that Jared had very quickly become an important part of her small household. She was learning a great deal about this man who had the face of a pirate and she was finding that she liked him very much. Too much perhaps, she thought.
    She must not forget that someday Jared would leave and she would again be alone with her library and no other adult companion with whom she could share the intellectual pleasures it contained.
    At that moment Jared glanced up and saw her standing just inside the schoolroom. The corner of his mouth curved faintly.
    “Good morning, Miss Wingfield. Was there something you wanted?”
    “No, no,” Olympia said quickly. “Please carry on. I merely wished to observe the lesson.”
    “By all means.” Jared indicated the globe. “We are studying geography this morning.”

    “So I see.” Olympia took a step