Subj: Deception
Date: 3/30/02 9:38:44 PM Central Standard Time
From: Melissa

"I became a virtuoso of deceit. . . In the end, I distilled everything to one wonderfully simple principle - win or die." Glenn Close from Dangerous Liaisons

I watch her sleep every night. She seems to speak, but the words are never clear to me. I often wonder what she dreams. Am I a fool? I know she loves me, doesn't she prove it to me ever moment of the day? I hate to leave her, but I have a job to do. What does she do while I am gone?

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It was so simple, and he made it that way. All I had to do was offer my advice, which he took of course, because he knew that I would tell him the truth. Even if it was a truth that I created. Why am I destroying the life of my friend? I only have one reason, and that is love. For I loved her more than I ever loved another woman, and if I could not have her then he couldn't either. I could make her love me, all I needed was to make her forget him.

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Over the past few weeks I have felt a change in him. I feel him watching me, even in my sleep I can feel his eyes on me. What has happened to us. It was not so long ago that we were so happy.

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"You're a lucky man," Burke Devlin said to his best friend Roger Collins.

"Thank you," Roger said taking the brandy Burke held out to him. He looked over at his bride.

She was a vision of loveliness in her white chiffon, off the shoulder gown, with poet sleeves, and beaded bodice. Charlotte looked over at Roger and smiled.

"You better get over there," Burke said, and Roger went over and pulled her away from one of his affectionate aunts.

"I thought you'd never come," she whispered as they walked away.

"We can sneak out of here in an other hour," Roger said and kissed her forehead.

"I can hardly wait," she said.

Burke helped the newlyweds leave with out being noticed by the guests.

Victoria Winters slipped her arm around Burke's waist.

"It was a beautiful wedding, wasn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah," he agreed watching the car disappear.

"You missed Charlotte throw the bouquet," Vicki said hoping to divert his attentions back to her.

"I was helping Roger pack up the car," he said as they turned back to the house.

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Vicki sat on the edge of the bed. Burke had gone to get something to drink. He had been particularly vigorous tonight. It scared her when he was like this, but she loved him so much.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yes," he said smiling, he had to get away, he had become lost in his thoughts of her, every time he closed his eyes he saw her. He had forgotten who he was with, and almost lost it all. "How are you doing?" he asked kissing her.

"Good," she said leaning against him.

"You know this wedding has me thinking," Burke said.

"Of what," Vicki asked.

"Our wedding."

"Our wedding?" Vicki repeated with surprise.

"Yeah, I was thinking of something small, romantic, what do you think?"

Vicki smiled and threw her arms around him.

"So will you marry me?" Burke asked.

"Yes," Vicki said happily, "I'll marry you."

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production