Story Snip from Larksong: Chapter 13 and Druid's Moon Publication Anniversary

nd now for the latest installment!

Larksong is set in Montreal, July 1914.

In chapter 1, Alice, after her grandmother's funeral, arrived at the family cottage to take care of her grandmother's aviary, only to find that her parents had already leased the cottage to another family for the summer.

The only way she could have one more summer in her favourite place was to surreptitiously take on the role of governess to the two young girls...

In chapter 2, we met George, laid up at the hospital with a broken leg. Instead of joining his friends on a Grand Tour of Europe, he's being sent off to recuperate at a rented cottage in the country...

In chapter 3, we returned to Alice's point of view, and saw her bonding with George's younger sisters. Then she got a surprise -- George was arriving at the cottage that very day!

In chapter 4, we had a hint that Alice finds George attractive and interesting -- but also unbearably rude.

In chapter 5, they had their first argument.

In chapter 6, they argued once more, but the stakes were higher: war is on the horizon.

In chapter 7, George attempted a rapprochement. The chapter ended with him asking, "Why don't we both go sit in the parlour?"

In chapter 8, Alice had some feelings stirring...

In chapter 9, during their first evening together, they began to suss each other out over a card game.

In chapter 10, we reached the end of the evening, with harsh words from George, but a détente of sorts before they went their separate ways for the night.

In chapter 11, we started the next morning in George's point of view, with his dawning realization of his attraction to Alice.

In chapter 12, we saw that this realization did not lead to greater friendliness.

In chapter 13 (which I mistakenly also labelled as 12!), a new complication arose, in the form of the arrival of George's rather rude brother.

In chapter 13 (hopefully I won't make any further numbering errors!, George is busy with inappropriate (as he thinks) thoughts of Alice...

As soon as Alice had left them—George caught himself watching her shapely legs in their silk stockings ascend the staircase—did governesses usually wear such fine clothes?—and wrenched his head violently aside, readjusting his face into a scowl—his brother dropped most of his sneering tone.

The teasing look remained on Albert's face but the bold pose deflated. George knew Albert was eagerly waiting to be asked about his latest misdeeds, so he could keep up his braggadocio. As he'd always done, trying to prove himself to their parents before his older brothers.

Well, two could play the mysterious charmer game.

"It's not a switch," he said with a knowing wink, as if the stick was a prop for some game Albert had not yet heard of.

Then he turned and loped as smoothly as he could on the blasted crutches, down the steps and back up the garden path.

It was only after a vigorous and most satisfying ten minutes of scratching his leg inside the cast that he settled back on the bench, and realised he'd forgotten to bring out the newspapers, his sole reason for leaving the seclusion of the garden and returning to the house in the first place.

Did he stay and stare into the distance, or try to read the papers inside, while fending off more his brother's ridiculous—yet barbed—witticisms?

He hadn't asked Alice what her afternoon plans were with the girls. And why should he?

He stopped that thought in its tracks. He had no claim on her or her time, and it wasn't his duty to protect her from Albert either.

If he felt he must return to the house, it was only because the breeze off the lake had grown cold.

He snorted in reaction to the flimsiness of his self-justification and settled the crutches under his arms, making sure not to leave the "switch" behind.

He could lie to himself all he wanted. Thoughts of protecting Alice led invariably to the fact that she'd gifted him that switch, having derived his need. He might try to keep his mind off it, but his body was already intrigued by the idea of a game Albert had not heard of, which he and Alice might invent together.

A belated celebration of Druid's Moon release day!

It's fun to go back and visit my blog tour, so many blogging lovely hosts!

Druid's Moon by Deniz Bevan

Beauty to his Beast...
Lyne Vanlith, an archaeologist who seeks a logical explanation to any mystery, discovers an ancient Druidic curse on her first dig.

When the signs foretold by the curse descend on her, Lyne can’t find a reasonable interpretation.
And that’s even before a Beast rescues her from a monstrous sea-creature.
She drops a grateful kiss on the snout of the Beast, who transforms into a man, Frederick Cunnick, Baron of Lansladron.
Lyne is meant to be Beauty to his Beast—and break the curse forever.
Now both spellkeeper and monster are targeting Lyne. She must take up her legendary role, to defeat the curse and save Frederick—and herself.
Instead of logic, for the first time, Lyne must trust her heart.

Available here!

● Dancing Lemur Press: https://www.dancinglemurpressllc.com/fantasyparanormalmystery