The Long Way Around How terrible to be in love with the wrong man... To give up so much, gain so little and realise too late that it has all been a mistake...

Witch Light Prologue Pretty cages. Gilded, perfumed and tapestry draped cages. That's all the rooms of her mothers' household were to Luciella, the seventeen year old daughter of Lord and Lady Ashbrooke. She was the last child still bound to the apron strings of her mother, both her elder and younger sisters had been successfully married off to wealthy heirs and would in time become the ladies of their own little domains. It wasn't through lack of trying that Luciella was still unmatched at such a late age, it was the rumour of witchcraft that followed her name everywhere her father had attempted to make her a bride. She was beautiful, accomplished and not lacking in intelligence but that one incident from her childhood had haunted her and her kin ever since... Chapter One 'Luce! Come back, Mother is worried to death!' Marbella cried from the kitchen garden behind the manor. Luciella was prone to wander as children do but this time felt different. Marbella had searched every possible hiding spot that an eight year old may find appealing, even checking behind the gardeners potting shed despite the mess it had made of her skirts and there was no sign of her younger sister. She could hear her mother working herself in the frenzy over the girl who went to play in the flower garden with her nursemaid shortly after midday and then gave the poor old woman the slip while she napped in the sun. The sun was setting now, long shadows from the forest that surrounded the house stretching grasping fingers towards the small army of people searching for Luciella. Suddenly, amongst the shouts, a scream rang out from just past the tree line. Marbella jumped at the shrillness of the sound and hitched up her skirts before racing towards the source. By the time she reached the woman a small crowd had gathered. No one spoke, or even moved from where they had come to a halt in the small clearing that bordered an old fishpond. Forcing her way through the wall of bodies, Marbella made her way to the front, only to have her very breath snatched away by what she saw. Luciella was floating, but not in the water. Merely a foot from the grass at the very edge of the pond and surrounded in a vivid blue light. Marbella could not tell if Luciella was still alive and wanted so badly to know she was fine but fear had lodged itself deep in her breast and she could not bring herself to move any closer to the limp body of the little girl. 'Move aside! Let me through! Let me get to my daughter!' Came the gruff voice of Lord Ashbrooke from the back of the ever growing throng of onlookers, 'let me see her! Tell me she's...' 'Father... Don't... ' whispered Marbella as his voice trailed into silence at the sight. Marbella was suddenly overcome by fear that whatever was keeping Luciella suspended would be dangerous and that her father would be harmed if he tried to touch her. Lord Ashbrooke stared in disbelief before shaking himself to his senses and gingerly moving towards Luciella. As if anticipating his intentions, the light began to fade and Luciella slowly dropped towards the floor. Even as she settled against the grass, she showed no signs of #life and without the glare of the light it became apparent that she had fallen in the pond. Her clothes were sodden and her hair clung damply to her forehead. Mustering his courage, Lord Ashbrooke knelt beside his child and placed his fingers to her wrist. The slightest flutter of a pulse flittered past his fingertips. 'Thank god... ' he sighed before turning to the crowd of terrified servants and family members, 'she's still alive! Quick, fetch blankets and dry clothes for the child. As if thankfully to be excused, everyone jumped into action to fulfill Lord Ashbrooke's order. All but Marbella, who still stood nearby, rigid with fear of what she had seen, too afraid to allow the realisation that her sister wasn't dead to wash over her. 'Father... What was that? Surely she cannot be a witch...' She whispered cautiously, an accusation of that sort often carried the death sentence to not only the accused but all the female members of her family.could lead to the deaths of all the female members of a family.