My new book was released mid-February. You may remember
The Craigsmuir Affair
The Gybford Affair
Now we have The Matfen Affair
and I hope you enjoy it.
You may think them a series, but each book is a new story, with new characters, new problems and new locations.
EXCERPT:
Clutching my
candle, I headed into the darkness beyond the sharp turn that led to the older
part of the house. In daytime, with others nearby, it had seemed romantic, but
alone and in near darkness, climbing that narrow spiral stair was like stepping
back two centuries. In several places my elbow grazed rough stone. My poor
little candle flame flickered wildly in the upper corridor and its light
glinted and rebounded from metal shields, axes and pieces of old armour that
decorated the walls.
The hairs on my
arms rose as I approached the door to my bedchamber. I glanced back the way I
had come and thought it was a pity that wood panelling had not been used to
cover the bare stone as it would have made the corridor so much warmer. Close
at hand, someone sighed.
I whirled round
with such speed I almost extinguished my candle.
The corridor was
empty. I held the candle high, but saw only the dull gleam of ancient armour. The
silence was such that it was hard to believe any other person lived in the
house, let alone walked the corridor with me. I took a firm grip of my candle, turned
to the bedchamber door, grasped the sneck and entered.
A fire burned in
the hearth, and the bright, cheerful glow was a welcome surprise. Relief rushed
through me as I closed the door. The maids had lit candles, turned down the bed
and laid two white nightgowns on the side nearest the fire. Heaping blessings
on their heads, I hurried across the room and crouched before the fire. Heat
soaked into me and gradually I forgot the sigh of sound in the corridor.
Jen Black
1 comment:
What a wonderfully atmospheric excerpt. You set the scene so skilfully and added drama and a sense of history. Fabulous, Rosemary. xx
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