Her slender body glowed palely in the light from the flickering cressets and the faint dawn that filtered in from a narrow window high above. Not looking his way, even though she knew he watched her, Ermenilda retrieved a long, sleeveless tunic and pulled it on over her head. The movement thrust ...
Raedwyn had always loved Yule, especially in milder winters when she and her kin would join the people of Rendlaesham outdoors in the celebrations. However, this mid-winter solstice she could not dredge up much enthusiasm. The winter’s chill had crept into her father’s hall since that fateful eve...
Annan stared at his brother in shock. “What did you just say?” Aethelhere returned Annan’s gaze without faltering, his face uncharacteristically serious. “Hereswith. I want your permission to marry her.” Annan stepped back from Aethelhere, just in case he was seized by the urge to strike him down...
Perched upon a leather pack, while men packed up around her, she chewed on a crust of bread and sipped a cup of broth. Her limbs ached from the damp, and her clothes stuck uncomfortably to her skin. Dawn was just beginning to stain the eastern sky, breaking through a curtain of grey, as the Merci...
Now, finally, she understood what all the fuss was about. Venice was indeed like no other city she had ever seen. Around her, bell towers and dusky-coloured buildings rose out of the glittering lagoon. It was a city from another world, another era – before cars, planes and computers. An endless s...
Smoke from the fire pit at the heart of Penda’s tent drifted lazily towards the opening above. Outside, torches that had been staked into the ground, framed either-side of the entrance. They burned gently; their flames licking up at the moths dancing around them. Mist snaked through the Mercian e...
Her trolley suitcase lurched to a standstill beside her, sitting awkwardly on the unevenly cobbled street. It was mid-July and Rome was slowly baking. The heat rose off the cobblestones in suffocating waves. A jumble of yellow, ochre and cream buildings loomed overhead. Their earthy shades contra...
Truthfully, she felt nervous about tending to his wounds. Like most women in her village, she knew how to clean and dress a wound. However, the sight of blood had always made her ill, a weakness that irritated her mother no end. She only hoped she would not humiliate herself in front of the princ...