Although this is a contemporary, it also has another story within it that is set in World War One.
Where Dragonflies Hover blurb:
Sometimes a glimpse
into the past can help make sense of the future …
Everyone thinks Lexi is crazy when she falls in love with
Hollingsworth House – a crumbling old Georgian mansion in Yorkshire – and
nobody more so than her husband, Dylan. But there’s something very special
about the place, and Lexi can sense it.
Whilst exploring the grounds she stumbles across an old
diary and, within its pages, she meets Allie – an Australian nurse working in
France during the First World War.
Lexi finally realises her dream of buying Hollingsworth but
her obsession with the house leaves her marriage in tatters. In the lonely
nights that follow, Allie’s diary becomes Lexi’s companion, comforting her in
moments of darkness and pain. And as Lexi reads, the nurse’s scandalous
connection to the house is revealed …
Excerpt:
The late sunshine enveloped the
house in a golden glow. Again, it seemed to call to her, begging for attention.
A path on the left of the drive looked inviting as it meandered through a small
strand of poplars. Lexi grabbed her keys, locked the car and took off to
explore again. She had nothing to rush home to now, and if she got caught for
trespassing, then so be it.
The overgrown pathway brought her
out on the far side of the grounds near the end of a small lake. She gazed over
the water towards the back of the house and noticed a paved terrace area. From
there the lawn then sloped down to the water. She’d not been around the back before
and fell even more in love with the property. She could imagine the serenity of
sipping a cool drink on a hot summer’s day and looking out over the lake.
Lexi stepped out along the bank.
A lone duck swam by, its movement serene on the glassy, dark surface. This side
of the lake was in shadow from large pine trees, and she stumbled on fallen
pinecones hidden in the long grass. On the opposite side of the water were some
small buildings, a garage, fruit trees in early blossom, and an overgrown
vegetable patch, complete with a broken, rejected-looking scarecrow.
She wandered over to a narrow
shed on her left and peered through its sole, dirty window. Unable to make out
much in the dimness, she walked around to the front and was surprised when she
was able to pull the bolt back on the door. Why didn’t people lock things? A
covered rowboat took up most of the space inside. She smiled, seeing herself
rowing it on the lake. Growing more excited, Lexi edged around it to peer at
the workbenches and the odd assortment of tools and useless things one found in
abandoned sheds. It was like treasure hunting in an antique shop. She used to
love doing that with her grandfather.
She glanced about and spied a
dusty painting leaning against the wall. The scene was of a child and a brown
dog. Behind the canvas were more paintings, some framed, some not. Lexi flicked
through them. The ones that caught her attention she took out and set aside.
She looked for somewhere to sit
and study the paintings. A small tin trunk wedged under a workbench seemed the
only offering. Thinking it empty, she went to tug it out, but it remained fast.
Using both hands, she heaved it
out and was showered in a puff of dust. Squatting down, she inspected the latch
that was held tight with a small lock. ‘Why are you locked?’ she murmured. The
shed was open to anyone passing by, yet this ugly little chest had a lock on
it. The trunk was nothing special, plain and in parts rusted. No ornament or
writing hinted at its use.
Intrigued, she grabbed a hammer
from the workbench, but then hesitated. She had no right to open someone else’s
property. Lexi closed her eyes momentarily. What
was she thinking of breaking into the trunk? What am I doing? Never
had she broken the law and here she was guilty of trespassing and breaking and
entering! She looked around the rowboat as though expecting someone to jump out
and arrest her.
Something inside urged her on.
She knew she couldn’t stop now. Sucking in a deep breath, she bent and hit the
lock hard. The ringing sound was loud in the quiet serenity of the garden. The
metal dented and with another few solid whacks the lock gave.
Shivers of excitement tingled
along her skin. Gently, she eased up the lid.
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