To the aventine

THE plane slammed on to the Fiumicino tarmac with a thud. Even before the wheels touched the ground, Maeve’s fingers had intertwined with her sister’s in a grip so firm it left white marks on her knuc

MARIANNE groaned as the sound of the shutters being pushed open woke her from a fitful sleep. She half-opened her eyes, but the sun streaming in was too strong. Turning over, she buried her face in th

ROSALIE’S heart was pounding. Tall and formidable in dark coat and breeches, Thomas Charrel stood in the chapel doorway, his eyes on her for what seemed an age. His expression was grim, his gaze as co

WHEN Lady Hargreaves told Valerie that she was the third governess to be engaged for Rosa in a little over a year, it had taken Valerie only a few days to realise that the problem was not Rosa herself

Apart from the For Sale board, the house didn’t look any different from the last time I was here. Six months ago now. The day of my father’s funeral. A memory of how fragile my mother appeared that da

I LIFT my head to the weak sun and give thanks for having survived another winter. It’s good to see the lane is passable, even if there are ruts and puddles. However, I can still see the bones of icy,