Color of Deception



  Color of Deception

  by Ruth J. Hartman

  Published by esKape Press

  www.eskapepress.com

  All Rights Reserved

  Copyright © 2015 RUTH J. HARTMAN

  ISBN-10: 1940695821

  ISBN-13: 9781940695822

  Cover Art Design by For the Muse Design

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and/or persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are the property of their respective owners and are used for reference only and not an implied endorsement.

  Except for review purposes, the reproduction and distribution of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, without the written permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book, other than for review purposes, please obtain written permission first by contacting the publisher at [email protected].

  Thank you for your support of the author’s rights as provided for in the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976.

  For subsidiary rights, foreign and domestic, please contact the publisher at [email protected]

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  Other titles by Ruth J. Hartman

  Historical Romance

  His Lady Peregrine

  A Courtship for Cecilia

  The Unwanted Earl

  Love Birds of Regent’s Park

  The Matchmakers

  Romancing the Dustman’s Daughter

  Romance at the Royal Menagerie

  Rescued by a Duke

  Maid for Romance

  Time for a Duke

  Contemporary Romance

  Flossophy of Grace

  Pillow Talk

  Cats and Cowboys

  Better Than Catnip

  Purrfect Voyage

  Grin and Barrett

  Mind of a Stranger

  Waylaid

  Over A Fence

  Memoir

  Life in Mental Chains

  Children’s Book

  Murphy in the Paw-Paw Patch

  Dedication

  To Elaina Lee for always giving me amazing book covers!

  Prologue

  How could he have done this?

  Kitty Sullyard gritted her teeth around the filthy cloth in her mouth. The taste was rancid and sour at the same time. The possibilities of what it was so dirty with nearly caused her stomach to heave. Panic set in — again. Her heart crashed against her ribs, thumping faster than she’d ever known it to, as if it longed to escape the confines of her chest like a frightened pigeon. It was so hard to breathe. What if the cloth got wedged in too far and she couldn’t get any air? She tried to gulp some in but coughed against the mouth gag instead.

  No, you must stay calm. You must! Otherwise, she might have no chance at all of escaping. Though how she would overpower two burly men was beyond her. There must be some way. If she gave up now, she might as well close her eyes and let fear and despair take her, because those were her only companions at present.

  She tugged against the ropes tied around her wrists for the hundredth time. Heat licked at her skin like hot coals whenever she repositioned her hands. Something sticky was between her palms. Was it perspiration? Or blood? She hadn’t much feeling left in her hands, and it seemed to be getting worse.

  Kitty feared the longer they remained in that state, permanent damage would be done. Would she lose the ability to grasp a pencil or paintbrush to create beautiful toy panoramas?

  If she ever got free.

  Stop that!

  Willing herself not to dwell on frightening possibilities, Kitty kicked the hard ground in frustration, hoping that as she freed her thoughts, she’d at the same time loosen the rope those men had bound her ankles with.

  No such luck.

  Her toes tingled, so she kept moving her feet, but the squeak of her boots rubbing together made her cringe. What if the men who had absconded with her came back? Heard her moving around and attempted to question her, hit her again? She’d listened to them talking outside the shed before they left. They’d assumed she had been knocked out cold. So they must have believed her playacting as she’d lain as still as death on the ground. It wasn’t hard to do. With the exception of her racing heart, she’d been too frightened to move.

  A flash of pain across her cheek brought back a memory of being struck on the side of her face. The man’s hand had been so hard and unyielding it might as well have been a brick. Though the old shed they’d thrust her into was mostly dark except for a tiny sliver of moon shining through a crack in the ceiling, Kitty could see well enough to know that one of her eyes now had blurry vision.

  The pent up energy she’d had since being taken rushed from her like a giant flood. All that remained was a useless body in a torn dress lying on the cold ground.

  What would she do if her family never found her? If no one could figure out the clue she’d drawn? They might not even notice it, since she’d had to leave it so far down on the wall.

  Please let someone find it. Let them figure out the message I’ve left.

  On top of her fear, anger, and panic was disbelief. Why had he done it? Deceived Kitty and her sisters? It made no sense. What possible reason could he have had?

  If Kitty died in this dark, cold shed, would he even care?