The Mistress

The Mistress
Susan Wiggs

Most days Kathleen O'Leary is a penniless maid. But tonight she takes a risk and masquerades as a glamorous heiress, thanks to a borrowed gown and her friends' sense of adventure. To her surprise, the ruse succeeds—even Dylan Kennedy, Chicago's most eligible bachelor, seems enraptured.But like Kathleen, Dylan isn't who he says he is. And before their true identities can be revealed to one another, fire erupts, sending rich and poor alike running for their lives. Now, though virtually strangers, Kathleen and Dylan must rely on each other for survival.And when the embers cool, they'll find that the greatest risk has been to their hearts… .

Praise for the novels of Susan Wiggs

“Susan Wiggs paints the details of

human relationships with the finesse of a master.”

—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author

“Wiggs provides a delicious story for us to savor.”

—Oakland Press on The Mistress

“Susan Wiggs delves deeply into her characters’

hearts and motivations to touch our own.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Mistress

“Once more, Ms. Wiggs demonstrates her ability

to bring readers a story to savor that has them

impatiently awaiting each new novel.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Hostage

“A quiet page-turner that will hold readers

spellbound as the relationships, characters

and story unfold. Fans of historical romances

will naturally flock to this skillfully executed trilogy,

and general women’s fiction readers should

find this story enchanting as well.”

—Publishers Weekly on The Firebrand

“Wiggs is one of our best observers

of stories of the heart. Maybe that is because

she knows how to capture emotion on

virtually every page of every book.”

—Salem Statesman-Journal

“Susan Wiggs writes with bright assurance,

humor and compassion.”

—Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author

The Mistress

The Chicago Fire Trilogy

Susan Wiggs

www.mirabooks.co.uk (http://www.mirabooks.co.uk/)

To my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Marge Green,

who taught me cursive writing

and told me the story of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Joyce, Betty and Barb, for favors too numerous to count; to friends near and far, including Jamie for brainstorming a trading scam, and Jodi for therapeutic e-mail conversations; thanks to Jill for the Bunco book, and to the wonderful Martha Keenan, who always edits above and beyond the call of duty.

Special thanks to the Chicago Historical Society, one of the richest resources ever to make itself available to a writer.

Also by Susan Wiggs

Contemporary Romances

HOME BEFORE DARK

THE OCEAN BETWEEN US

SUMMER BY THE SEA

TABLE FOR FIVE

LAKESIDE COTTAGE

JUST BREATHE

The Lakeshore Chronicles

SUMMER AT WILLOW LAKE