www.millsandboon.co.uk

      To my mother, a living example of what a strong heroine

       should be. Thanks for always being there for me, Mom.

      MYRNA MACKENZIE,

      is the winner of the Holt Medallion honoring outstanding fiction, and was a finalist for numerous other awards, including the Orange Rose, the National Reader’s Choice, the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice and WisRWA’s Write Touch. She believes that humor, love and hope are three of the best medicines in the world and tries to make sure that her books reflect that belief. Born in a small town in southern Missouri, Myrna grew up in the Chicago area, married her high school sweetheart and has two teenage sons. Her hobbies include dreaming of warmer climes during the cold northern winters, pretending the dust in her house doesn’t exist, taking long walks and traveling. Readers can write to Myrna at P.O. Box 225, LaGrange, IL 60525, or they may visit her online at www.myrnamackenzie.com.

      The Tale of The Ugly Duckling

      When Mother Duck saw the sixth egg in her nest was oddly shaped, she knew one of her children would be different from the rest. Sure enough, that summer, when the ducklings hatched, one was bigger and uglier than the others.

      After being kicked aside by his siblings, the ugly one ran away from the pond. But after not much time away, he missed the water and yearned for his true home. As autumn covered the countryside, he headed out into the wide world.

      One day, on his journey back to the water, he heard the sound of great flapping wings. In the air, he saw a flock of birds flying high. They were as bright as snow and their long necks were stretched southward. He dreamed of going with them, though he knew he was no fit companion for such beautiful birds.

      After a hard, cold winter and plenty of adventures the duckling again saw the flock of beautiful creatures. With his heart in his throat, he decided to follow them. He would risk rejection rather than pass up the chance to take flight with the heavenly beings.

      To his surprise, they welcomed him! And when he looked for his dull, awkward reflection in the water, he saw a beautiful swan instead.

      Contents

      Prologue

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Epilogue

      Prologue

      Merry Montrose, known in another life as Princess Meredith Bessart of Silestia, put her hand on the small of her back and rubbed. She was the manager of La Torchére, an island resort in southwestern Florida, and in early May the island should have been paradise. Many people would have deemed themselves lucky to be here, and she knew that, but Merry just felt rather used up and slightly panicky. She frowned at her companion, Lissa Bessart Piers, the resort’s concierge.

      “If you had to put a curse on me,” Merry told Lissa, “did you have to make me a crone? I think I’m starting to creak.”

      Lissa smiled slightly. “As your godmother, I have a duty to make sure you either turn out to be a good princess for the people back in your homeland, or that you end up being no princess at all. There was a reason for the curse, as well you know, and there’s a way out, as you also know.”

      Merry wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t even do that much. I don’t deserve to look and feel so old.”

      Lissa didn’t react.

      “All right, maybe I did insult Prince Alec a little.”

      “He was your betrothed and you did more than insult him a little. And that wasn’t the only thing you did, either.”

      Merry shrugged. “I suppose you mean that teensy little incident where I tried to break up my father’s engagement. It wasn’t that big a deal.”

      “It was a very big deal. He’s a king.”

      “She was older than my father.”

      “She was his choice, and you not only tried to sabotage the engagement, you took it a step further when that didn’t work and did your best to interfere with the wedding itself. You were out of control. Those were hardly the acts of a princess.”

      “I’m not sorry.”

      “Even though you’re getting older and grayer every day?”

      Merry touched her wrinkled face. “All right, I’m a little sorry, and this way out you’ve discussed, I’m—” She covered her face completely with her hands. “I’m just not sure I’m going to make the deadline. If I don’t…”

      “You’ll always be a crone. Silestia and your ties to your family will be a thing of the past.”

      “But there’s so little time left, and the task is so great. To get twenty-one couples to fall in love and marry, it’s almost impossible.”

      “You only have five to go.”

      “Yes, but less than a year to do it in.”

      “You wasted a lot of time when I first put the curse on you. I gave you seven years, all the way to your thirtieth birthday, and the first couple of years you didn’t do a thing.”

      “I know,” Merry admitted, surprising herself. “And once I began, it was so difficult. It took me four years and several mismatches to get things straight. I’ve been doing this long enough now to be realistic. One year is not enough time to ensure that five couples will meet, fall in love and marry. Could you—”

      “What?” Lissa asked, her eyes kind, but her voice firm.

      “Give me a little more time.”

      Lissa shook her head sadly. “A princess wouldn’t ask for more time.”

      “So, it’s hopeless.”

      “If you just stand around talking, yes, it is.”

      Merry let out a sigh. She looked down at herself, at her once beautiful body, now ravaged by age and riddled with aches that even the warm winds of this Florida island couldn’t take away. To be like this forever, to never go back to her lovely pampered life…