Trilogy Latest

  I also said I'd keep you up-to-date with the Edge of Doom Trilogy, so, below is a summary of the trilogy's progress:

The Edge of Doom was published February 2010 and is available from the outlets listed on the "Getting Hold of a Copy" page.

The contract for The Dark Space (second in trilogy)  has just (February 2011) been signed with the publishers - Peagasus.

The New Found Land (third in trilogy) is about one fifth written (February 2011).

Latest (May 2011):  The Dark Space has come to me from the publishers, after its first proof reading, for my input.  They describe it as "fast-paced and well-written", with "excellent" strudture,plot and style, which is encouraging!

Sisters, Sisters...

Sorry for the delay - life has been busy!  The second in The Edge of Doom Trilogy has come back , proof read, for my input, and I've also been away a lot.  But here is a story, based on a picture  of 2 women standing holding their babies, that was on the internet. We were all given one as stimulus material, so I nothing  about the women in real life.

                                   Sisters, Sisters…

Louise hoped Suzy would be in a good mood.  You could never quite tell with her sister.  But, as asked, she’d brought lots of the family photos with her, so with luck any awkwardness could be glossed over.

However, Suzy looked welcoming when she got there.  After the required embrace and air-kiss, they sat down seemingly quite relaxed, on either side of the small table on which were the teapot and accessories, the cups and the chocolate biscuits.  Dealing with these took some minutes, then a slightly awkward silence seemed on the point of creeping in.

Louise said, hurriedly:  “Lily called in to see us, the other day.  She’s very lovely – reminds me of her mother at that age.  You two are so alike!”

Suzy smiled her somewhat tight smile.  “She came to see me not long ago.  But I was never that attractive.  You’re remembering with younger-sister eyesight.”

“Possibly, said Louise.  “You always seemed so elegant and so grown-up.  Three years makes such a difference in your teens.  That reminds me – I found some old photos.  Do you want to see them?”

“May as well.  What else shall we do?  Go into town for a cup of coffee?”  Suzy’s laugh was a little too wild, Louise thought, and she hastened to get out the photos.

“I put them in some sort of order.  Here’s you, with Mum and Pa.  Before I was born, of course.”

“Of course.  I don’t think there can be any photos of Mum later, except for the one in the hospital, just after.  She died so quickly.”

“Yes.  It must’ve been tough for you – and Pa.  I didn’t miss her of course – had nothing to miss.  All I knew was Pa and Big Sister.  Look, here we are on holiday – North Wales I think.  And this is us at Chester Zoo.”

Thankfully, the pictures had brought some animation to Suzy’s face.   “I remember that!” she said.  “You spoke to the orang-utans as if they were people – just ginger and hairy!”  The pleasure faded in her eyes.  “We seemed happy then.”

“We were – or at least, I was,” said Louise. “You two made me feel so safe…and loved”

“That’s fine, then.”  The acid in Suzy’s voice would have dissolved metal.  Now’s the moment, thought Louise.  If I let it go, I’ll never ask.  I’ll never find out the real reason.

 Keeping her voice deliberately flat, she said:  “You sound as if you weren’t happy then, Suze. Like to tell me about it?  What was wrong?”

For a moment, she thought Suzy wasn’t going to answer, and looked round desperately to locate the bell, as an ugly red flooded her sister’s face. Then  Suzy stood up suddenly and took a step toward the still-seated Louise.  She’d never noticed before how big Suzy’s hands were.  Or how strong – that would be all the gardening she did these days, to the point of obsession, Louise often thought.

But the moment passed.  Suzy sat down, and unexpectedly hid her face in those strong hands, and started to cry.  “It was always you.  The apple of Pa’s eye.  His little darling. To think Aunty Jane told me, years later, that she’d worried that Pa would blame you for Mum’s death – even if it wasn’t strictly true.  No chance!  You were the last bit of her left, and we all cherished you – especially Pa.”

Louise almost said something, but wisely decided on silence.

“And you enchanted us all, without even trying.  Not like me – I tried.  How I tried!  I was Pa’s little helper. I dressed neatly. I worked hard in school.  I did my homework.  I played with you – not that was a problem.  But people didn’t love me just for myself, like they did you…Little Miss Sunshine!”

“But I remember being quite a naughty child.”

“Only added to your charm.”  Suzy’s tears were dry now, matching her tone.  “Oh you are awful…but I like you.. sort of thing.”

“But you went to university…you got a good degree…”

“Yes.  Those were good years.  Pa even got a housekeeper so I could go away.  But I’d have preferred to do Economics, not History, but Pa thought it a deeply unfeminine subject!  And of course I worried about you two and came home as much as I could.  Didn’t do wonders for my social life.”

Louise protested: “But we never asked you to.  We were fine!”

“Oh, I bet you were!  Just Pa and Pa’s darling girl.  What I’d have given to have him smile at me when I arrived from halfway across the country like he’d smile at you when you came back after being out half an hour.”

“But he trusted you, you became his PA. He relied on you.  ”

Suzy nodded “Oh yes, he did.  But he didn’t…joy in me, like he did in you.  Even when I married Mike.  Of course I was in love, but the fact that he was already lined up by Pa to take over on his retirement helped.  I did so want Pa’s approval.  You, on the other hand…”

She broke off.  Louise knew what wasn’t being said.  She, on the other hand, had dropped out of Uni, had gone travelling, had come back pregnant.  Had come to live with Pa, not noticing that this put Suzy’s nose out of joint.  Instead, she remembered telling her not to come round - trying to save her bringing meals to them, when she too was pregnant.

Suzy was riffling through the photos frantically.  “Where is it?  It must be here!  Of course, you had the boy, Matthew, the heir to the company, whereas I had Lily.  But she was so beautiful, and I dressed her so prettily, and I didn’t try to go back to work. Pa wouldn’t have approved … where is it?  But when you started your painting and decorating business, Pa was happy to baby-sit…here it is!”

Louise looked at the photo of the two of them, both smiling, holding their babies.  “Why is this one so special?” she asked.

“Look, look!”  Suzy was almost screaming now.  “Even when he took this, he couldn’t help himself.  You’re completely there – so’s Matthew.  But all you can see of Mike is his hand, and he’s cut me, and even Lily, down the side.  No wonder I cut him.  He deserved it!”

Louise looked.  Such a little thing to fire the resentments of years.  Such a wonder that it had been Pa, not her or Matt, that had suffered.  She could still see his bloodied body, with Suzy wordlessly standing over him, scissors clasped in hand.

She opened her arms and her sister fell into them, sobbing.  Gently, she sat her back down, and discreetly pressed the bell.  A large woman came in, keys in hand.  “I think my sister needs to rest…” Should she say Nurse, or Officer?  She never knew.

“I’m Alice,” said the woman, smiling.  “Come on, Mrs Farmer.  Let’s get you to your room.

Left behind, she tidied the photos, and, on consideration, decided to take them with her.  Suzy had been so upset – but perhaps, now she’d explained, there was a chance of recovery.

Louise paused on the steps and breathed freedom, as the doors of the Home for the Criminally Insane closed behind her.