Silent Melody

Dear Reader,

Of all my books,
Silent Melody
seems to be a reader favorite, mainly because of the heroine. She is a deaf-mute living in the eighteenth century, when there was no standard sign language and deaf people were often considered mad and consigned to insane asylums. Lady Emily Marlowe is fortunate enough to belong to a family that loves her and wants her, and she has taught herself to lip-read. However, most of her life is lived internally. I did not see her as a victim or as handicapped. I tried to show how richly her life is lived even though she cannot share that richness—until she meets Lord Ashley Kendrick.

When Emily and Ashley fall in love, he has much to offer her. Because she had hearing for the first few years of her life, he is able to teach her to speak. And he is able to protect her from all the dangers that threaten over the course of the story. But Emily has at least as much to offer Ashley. She teaches him that silence is rich and teeming with life and color and joy, and she teaches him that companionship and love do not need the medium of words.

Writing a love story without any real dialogue between the hero and heroine was incredibly challenging, but it was rewarding too. I am delighted that the book is being republished in this lovely edition so that it will be available again to those of you who have read it before as well as those of you who will be discovering it for the first time.

Mary Balogh

PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF MARY BALOGH

Silent Melody

“If emotion is the hallmark of romance, this is without doubt one of the most romantic novels ever written.”

—
Romance Forever

“Ms. Balogh continues to create unforgettable characters and stories that touch your heart . . . intensely emotional . . . [a] stunning book from an author who consistently sets new standards in the genre, and this latest work is no exception.”

—
Old Book Barn Gazette

“Truly an enjoyable work.”

—Regency Romance Reviews

“Balogh brings a twist to her Georgian romance . . . wonderfully sensitive.”

—
Publishers Weekly

Heartless

“Absorbing . . . quietly moving.”

—Dear Author

“Sharply drawn characters . . . [a] fast-moving plot.”

—
Publishers Weekly

Longing

“Balogh capture[s] the allure of the land and the culture of the proud people of Wales . . . a very different sort of historical romance. Ms. Balogh's writing has a very lyrical quality to it which draws out the feelings of yearning so that the reader can palpably sense them . . . pretty powerful.”

—The Hope Chest Reviews

“A particular favorite of mine.”

—The Romance Reader

Beyond the Sunrise

“Thoroughly enjoyable.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Janelle Taylor

“Balogh's . . . epic love story is a winner . . . absorbing reading right up until the end.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“High intrigue, daring exploits, a passionate love affair, what more could you want in a romance? Balogh gives us a humdinger of a tale set during the Napoleonic Wars. Great fun. Highly recommended.”

—Manderley Magazine

“
Beyond the Sunrise
is an utterly absorbing, powerful tale of a love that was once doomed and yet blooms again amidst the intrigue and ordeal of war. With infinite care and deft plotting, Ms. Balogh spins an intricate tale with the skill of a master weaver. She draws you into the era by evoking the aura of the war and the passionate emotions of her characters. If you have never read another book by Mary Balogh, then
Beyond the Sunrise
will be your introduction to a writer of remarkable talents.”

—
RT Book Reviews

FURTHER PRAISE FOR AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR MARY BALOGH

“Once you start a Mary Balogh book, you won't be able to stop reading.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips

“Mary Balogh has the gift of making a relationship seem utterly real and utterly compelling.”

—Mary Jo Putney

“Winning, witty, and engaging . . . fulfilled all of my romantic fantasies.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Teresa Medeiros

“Mary Balogh just keeps getting better and better . . . interesting characters and great stories to tell . . . well worth your time.”

—
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Mary Balogh is a superb author whose narrative voice comments on the characters and events of her novel in an ironic tone reminiscent of Jane Austen.”

—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Mary Balogh reaches deep and touches the heart.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Joan Johnston

“A writer whose books belong on every romance shelf.”

—
RT Book Reviews

ALSO BY MARY BALOGH

THE SURVIVORS' CLUB SERIES

The Proposal

The Arrangement

The Escape

Only Enchanting

Only a Promise

THE HUXTABLE SERIES

First Comes Marriage

Then Comes Seduction

At Last Comes Love

Seducing an Angel

A Secret Affair

THE SIMPLY SERIES

Simply Unforgettable

Simply Love

Simply Magic

Simply Perfect

THE BEDWYN SAGA

Slightly Married

Slightly Wicked

Slightly Scandalous

Slightly Tempted

Slightly Sinful

Slightly Dangerous

THE BEDWYN PREQUELS

One Night for Love

A Summer to Remember

THE MISTRESS TRILOGY

More Than a Mistress

No Man's Mistress

The Secret Mistress

THE WEB SERIES

The Gilded Web

Web of Love

The Devil's Web

CLASSICS

The Ideal Wife

The Secret Pearl

A Precious Jewel

A Christmas Promise

Dark Angel/Lord Carew's Bride

The Famous Heroine/ The Plumed Bonnet

A Christmas Bride/Christmas Beau

The Temporary Wife/ A Promise of Spring

A Counterfeit Betrothal/ The Notorious Rake

Irresistible

A Matter of Class

Under the Mistletoe

Longing

Beyond the Sunrise

Heartless

SIGNET ECLIPSE

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Published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC. Previously published in a Berkley edition.

Copyright © Mary Balogh, 1997

Excerpt from
Heartless
copyright © Mary Balogh, 1995

Excerpt from
Only a Kiss
copyright © Mary Balogh, 2015

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:

Balogh, Mary.

Silent melody / Mary Balogh.

pages cm.

ISBN 978-0-698-15626-5

I. Title.

PR6052.A465S522 2015

823'.914—dc23 2015011799

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.