Become a tycoon, heâd said.
By the time she reached home, Piper Duchess had made up her mind. She would throw herself into work. She would become a millionaire before she was thirty.
That would prove to Nic de Pastrana that she didnât need him.
But that was before Nic turned up on her doorstepâneeding her helpâ¦.
THE HUSBAND FUND trilogy
by Rebecca Winters Only in Harlequin Romance>®!
Book 1âTo Catch a Groom (#3819)
Book 2âTo Win His Heart (#3827)
Book 3âTo Marry for Duty (#3835)
Dear Reader,
I came from a family of five sisters and one brother. The four oldest girls were my parentsâ first family. There was a space before my baby sister and baby brother came along.
My mother called the first four her little women, and gave each of us a Madame Alexander doll from the Little Women series based on the famous book by Louisa May Alcott. We may not have been quadruplets, but we were close in age and definitely felt a connection to each other that often meant we tuned into each othersâ thoughts as we sang, played, studied and traveled together.
In our early twenties I recall a time when I took the train from Paris, France, where Iâd been studying, to meet one of my sisters at the port in Genoa, Italy, where her ship came in from New York. She was returning to school in Perugia, Italy. Some of my choicest memories are our glorious adventures as two blond American sisters on vacation along the French and Italian rivieras, dodging Mediterranean playboys.
When I conceived The Husband Fund trilogy for Harlequin Romance>®, I have no doubt the idea of triplet sisters coming to Europe on a lark to intentionally meet some gorgeous Riviera playboys sprang to life from my own family experiences at home and abroad.
Meet Greer, Olivia and Piper, three characters drawn from my imagination who probably have traits from all four of my wonderful, intelligent, talented sisters in their makeup.
Enjoy!
Rebecca Winters
www.rebeccawinters-author.com
August
Kingston, New York
âTHANKS for seeing me on such short notice, Dr. Arnavitz. Iâve never been to a psychiatrist before, so Iâm nervous.â
He cocked his gray head. âNervousness on the part of my patients seems to go with the territory. At least on a first visit. Why donât you tell me whatâs bothering you and weâll start there.â
Piper Duchess sat on the edge of the chair with her hands rigidly clasped on top of her knees. âEverythingâs bothering meââ she blurted before hot tears rolled down her flushed cheeks.
Without saying anything the doctor pushed a box of tissues toward her. She took one and wiped the moisture from her face. When sheâd regained a little composure, she said, âFor the first time in my life, Iâm really alone, and Iâm not handling it very well. To be honest, Iâm not handling it at allââ She broke down again.
âDo you mean emotionally, physically?â
âBoth.â She blotted her aqua eyes with another tissue.
âFrom your chart I see that youâre twenty-seven years old and single. Are you going through a breakup with a boyfriend or fiancé?â
No.
Nic didnât qualify for either category and anyway he wasnât interested in her. In fact Nicolas de Pastrana of the House of Parma-Bourbon in Spain had always been off limits to her though she hadnât known that when sheâd first met him and his cousins. âNo,â her voice trembled, âbut I would imagine this is exactly how it must feel. No wonder itâs such a traumatic experience.â
âTell me about your family.â
âMy parents have both passed away. My sisters Greer and Olivia are now married and live in Europe. Olivia just got married in Marbella. I flew home from Spain to New York three days ago.â
âYou live alone?â
She nodded. âIn a basement apartment here in Kingston. The three of us shared it after Daddy died in the spring.â
âYou have no extended family?â
âNo. Our parents were both older when they married and their families have all passed on.â
âSo youâre virtually alone now.â
Her throat started to close up with pain. âYes. I sound like a big baby, donât I?â
âNot at all. Most people have some relatives living in the same country at least. Where do you fit in your family constellation?â
Piper thought she understood what he meant. âIâm the middle child, but that may sound misleading since my sisters and I are nonidentical triplets.â
âAhâ¦â That was all he said, but apparently it answered some questions for him.
âIâve never been completely alone like this before. Iâm not talking just the physical separation from my sisters. Itâs a mental thing.â
âThe reign of the Three Musketeers has come to an end?â he supplied.
âYes!â she cried. âItâs exactly like that. All for one, one for all. Now they have husbands and nothing will ever be the same again.â
âAre you angry about that?â