The Ugly Duckling
Authors: Iris Johansen
Iris Johansen
DEAD AIM
“Smoothly written, tightly plotted, turbocharged thriller … Megaselling Johansen doesn’t miss.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Readers will stay up all night reading this cat-and-mouse chase.”
—Booklist
“The nonstop action and slick plotting won’t disappoint.”
—Publishers Weekly
NO ONE TO TRUST
“With its taut plot and complex characters, [
No One to Trust
] is vintage, fan-pleasing Johansen.”
—Booklist
“Fast-moving plot … another zippy read from megaselling Johansen.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Gritty, powerful and fast-paced,
No One to Trust
starts off with a bang and never lets up.… This is one thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
—Romantic Times
BODY OF LIES
“Filled with explosions, trained killers, intrigues within intrigues … It all adds up to one exciting thriller.”
—Booklist
“A romantic thriller whose humanity keeps the reader rooting for its heroine every step of the way.”
—Publishers Weekly
“[Johansen] doesn’t let her readers down.”
—The Star-Ledger
, Newark
FINAL TARGET
“A winning page-turner that will please old and new fans alike.”
—Booklist
“A compelling tale.”
—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Thrilling … will have fans of the author ecstatic and bring Ms. Johansen new readers.”
—BookBrowser
THE SEARCH
“Thoroughly gripping and with a number of shocking plot twists … [Johansen] has packed all the right elements into this latest work: intriguing characters; a creepy, crazy villain; a variety of exotic locations.”
—New York Post
“Johansen’s thrillers ooze enough testosterone to suggest she also descends from the house of Robert Ludlum. Johansen pushes the gender boundary in popular fiction, offering up that rarity: a woman’s novel for men.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Fans of Iris Johansen will pounce on
The Search
. And they’ll be rewarded.”
—USA Today
THE KILLING GAME
“Johansen is at the top of her game.… An enthralling cat-and-mouse game … perfect pacing … The suspense holds until the very end.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Most satisfying.”
—Daily News
, New York
“An intense whodunit that will have you gasping for breath.”
—The Tennessean
THE FACE OF DECEPTION
“One of her best … a fast-paced, nonstop, clever plot in which Johansen mixes political intrigue, murder, and suspense.”
—USA Today
“The book’s twists and turns manage to hold the reader hostage until the denouement, a sure crowd pleaser.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Johansen keeps her story moving at breakneck speed.”
—The Daily Sun
, Chicago
AND THEN YOU DIE
“Iris Johansen keeps the reader intrigued with complex characters and plenty of plot twists. The story moves so fast, you’ll be reading the epilogue before you notice.”
—People
“From the first page, the reader is pulled into a realm of danger, intrigue, and suspense with a touch of romance and enough twists and turns to gladden the hearts of all of her readers.”
—Library Journal
LONG AFTER MIDNIGHT
“Flesh-and-blood characters, crackling dialogue and lean, suspenseful plotting.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A lively, engrossing ride by a strong new voice in the romantic suspense genre.”
—Kirkus Reviews
THE UGLY DUCKLING
“Outstanding. A real page-turner. Many will add [Iris Johansen’s] name to their list of favorite authors.”
—Associated Press
IS JOHANSEN
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ND THE
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THE UGLY DUCKLING
A Bantam Book
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Bantam hardcover edition published May 1996
Bantam mass market edition published January 1997
Bantam reissue / October 2007
Published by Bantam Dell
A Division of Random House, Inc.
New York, New York
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved
Copyright © 1999 by I. J. Enterprises
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 95036175
Bantam Books and the rooster colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
eISBN: 978-0-307-79439-0
v3.1
Prologue
Greenbriar, North Carolina
“I didn’t mean to break it.” Tears were running down Nell’s cheeks. “Please, Mama. I was holding it and it just fell.”
“I told you never to touch my things. Your father gave me this mirror in Venice.” Her mother’s lips were tight with anger as she looked at the broken handle of the pearl-encrusted mirror. “It will never, never be the same.”
“Yes, it will. I promise.” Nell reached out and tried to take the hand mirror. “I didn’t break the mirror, just the handle. I’ll glue it. It will be exactly the same.”
“You’ve ruined it. What were you doing in my room anyway? I told your grandmother never to let you in here.”
“She didn’t know. It wasn’t her fault.” The sobs were choking her. “I just came to—I wanted to see—I made this wreath of honeysuckle from the fence and—”
“I see you did.” Her mother disdainfully touched
the flowers in Nell’s hair. “You look ridiculous.” She held the mirror up before Nell’s face. “Is that what you wanted to see? How silly you look.”
“I thought I’d look … pretty.”
“Pretty? Look at yourself. You’re plump and plain and you’ll never be anything else.”
Mama was right. The girl in the mirror was plump, her eyes swollen and bloodshot. The bright yellow blossoms Nell had thought so beautiful looked limp and pitiful tucked in her untidy brown hair. By wearing them, she had made even the flowers seem ugly. She whispered, “I’m sorry, Mama.”
“Was that really necessary, Martha?” Her grandmother stood in the doorway. “She’s only eight years old.”
“It’s time she learned to face reality. She’ll never be anything but an ugly little mouse. She has to deal with it.”
“All children are beautiful,” her grandmother said quietly. “And if she’s a little plain now, that doesn’t mean she’ll stay that way.”
Her mother snatched up the mirror again and held it before Nell. “Is she right, Nell? Are you beautiful?”
Nell turned her head to avoid her reflection.
Her mother turned to her grandmother. “And I don’t want you filling her head with stories and fantasies. Ugly ducklings don’t become swans. Plain children usually grow up to be plain adults. She’ll have to be content with being neat and clean and obedient to be accepted.” She took Nell’s shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. “Do you understand, Nell?”
She understood. By accepted, Mama meant to be loved. She would never be beautiful like Mama, so she must make them all love her by doing whatever they wished.
She nodded jerkily.
Her mother released her, grabbed her briefcase from the bed, and moved toward the door. “I have a meeting in twenty minutes, and you’ve made me late. You must never, never come into this room again.” She glared impatiently at Nell’s grandmother. “I can’t understand you not watching her more closely.”
She was gone.
Her grandmother held out her arms to Nell. She meant to comfort, to ease the hurt, and Nell wanted to go to her, to bury her face in her shoulder. But there was something she must do first.
She turned back to the dresser and carefully gathered the pieces of the broken mirror. She would glue every piece with great care so that no one would ever know it was broken. She must work hard and be very clever and very good.
Because she was an ugly duckling.
And she would never become a swan.