Thea enjoyed two minutes of slow awakening before the trouble started. Downstairs, Gwennie began to bark. Not the one-note yap which said I’m awake, so you should be too but an urgent string of throaty sounds that suggested there was actually something to be worried about. Thea got up and went to the bedroom door. ‘What’s the matter?’ she called down the stairs, hoping to quell the animal simply by letting her hear a voice. Instead she heard an odd sizzling sound, which was quickly followed by a bang and the smell of smoke. ‘Hey, Hepzie, come with me. Something’s burning.’ The spaniel eyed her from the foot of the bed and remained where she was. ‘Come here,’ grated Thea, grabbing her by the collar. ‘Do as you’re told, will you?’ Gwennie was still barking, and there were crackling sounds at the bottom of the stairs. Still half asleep, Thea dragged her dog down the stairs after her, to discover a pool of flame in the narrow hallway.
What do You think about Revenge In The Cotswolds (2015)?
