They may have been more personal, but they were no kinder. Eva was torn between amusement and a growing dread. Her various cousins and second cousins each received gifts that were useful, but also pointed out a key character flaw or failure. Humphrey, for example, had been boasting to Eva over dinner about his plan …
They stopped for the night in the next village, even though it was barely afternoon and the castle could be seen on a hill in the middle distance. Oren said they needed time to prepare. His version of preparing was to take a pint of ale into the garden behind the inn and snooze. Mara …
Tessa stared back at the three people staring at her. “What?” “We can’t change her look completely; people would notice and comment.” Max was ignoring her, sort of. Bel nodded. “Yeah, right, we need to enhance it. Dial it up.” Juno was frowning. “But do we dial it up by going outrageous, or high class?” …
I was off to the castle again today, a little follow-up tidying and a chat with the ghost. There had been strange lights in the sky last night, and largely from over that way, and I thought it prudent to investigate. I made my way through the forest. The creatures were twitchy, staying out of …
Rai slipped into the main hall of the temple, all but unnoticed among the crowd gathered to hear this week’s sermon from the High Priestess. It was the usual drivel; service to the church, service to the crown, a humble life is a holy life, so work hard and give all your money to me. …
In the bustle of room allocations and Aunt Sarah’s complaints, Eva found herself separated from the rest of the group she’d arrived with. Even her parents had been sent up a different set of stairs to the ones she now climbed, following a smiling young woman with an accent like music. The woman opened a …
Kit opened yet another door and ushered Eva into a room far too large to feel as cosy as it did. It was a lovely mix of a sitting room, library and study, with comfortable chairs and a sofa tucked around a fireplace at one end, bookshelves covering the back and side walls and a …
Angelie barrelled through the door of Zara’s shop at lunchtime the next day. “They’ve made it a competition.” “A what?” Zara tucked a strand of hair back under her headscarf and doused the flame on her still, lavender oil could wait; Angelie was never this intense. Her friend leaned an elbow on the scarred wooden …
Eva strode into the glass and marble foyer of the offices housing her great aunt’s lawyers, she was very good at appearing comfortable in places designed to intimidate and the receptionist looked slightly put out at Eva’s breezy greeting. “I’m sorry, but Mr Harrison is not available this afternoon. He’s in very important client meetings.” …
The cold snap was still in force when I woke, no surprises there. If a chilly bit of weather is going to go to the sort of effort needed to cool down a south-eastern swamp, it was going to hang about for a bit. I decided to do some long-planned, long put-off work on the …
The DNA of Stories 