Here’s a little teaser from The Devil Diamond – now available on Amazon.
‘This is a wonderful piece,’ Kel said, reaching out and spinning the globe on its axis.
Callahan leaned forward. ‘Indeed. But very much out of date. 1600s I believe, but a replica of a much earlier globe.’ The steward’s eyes were now alight and Kel could feel his pleasure at his interest in the globe.
‘You read Latin, sir?’ Singleton asked.
‘I did once. I’m a little rusty.’
The reverend pointed to the middle of the globe. ‘As you see, the globe maker had scant knowledge of the earth. He filled the space with fanciful imaginings.’
Kel peered at the clumsy script. ‘Hic Sunt Dracones,’ Kel read aloud. ‘Here Be Dragons. Well. Let’s hope not.’
There was a slight pause. Singleton sipped his Madeira and seemed to be choosing his words carefully. ‘If you’re interested in such things, local myth has it that there were once dragons nearby.’
‘Dragons? I see. Then I can understand that the country might well have an eerie feel to it. Thank you for the warning.’ The comment was meant to be droll, but Singleton took it seriously. He sat forward and fixed Kel with a steady stare.
‘Here in this country every stone, every beck, every tumble-down ruin has a story, or many stories – begun thousands of years ago. The landscape’s memory is long.’
Kel pursed his lips. It was now his turn to choose his words carefully. ‘I see. Then I look forward to finding out more about these myths. Now that I own the estate I should probably make an effort to share the local – concerns.’
Both Singleton and Callahan nodded, but said nothing more. It was apparent that something was going on here. They were testing him in some way, and he had clearly passed the first hurdle. He vaguely wondered what the next challenge might be, and why the new owner of Rivenwood was required to have an open mind on such unlikely things as dragons.
Read a preview chapter here.