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Chapter One

England, 1817

Caramel leaves tumbled to life by brisk autu a last wistful dance before a wintry embrace would claim them

Autu heavy on the hillsides Bracken was yellowing, heather passing fro the soft russet and purple of decline Faint odours of wood smoke seemed to flit over the moor, and the sharp lines of the hill fastnesses were drawn as with a graving-tool against the sky

The lake mirrored the sky above Sophia closed her eyes The breeze that ran unchecked over the rippled surface blew her long bangs froht colour to her usually pale cheeks

Without the distraction of the view she could detect the scent The ranced with the pine trees that circled the lake, growing so close that soles cobra-thick roots into the water

The sunset threatening to dip behind the horizon, firstly cascading a pri over the sky with terrible alacrity The receding blue and oranges battled the blackness pushing it aith ar its deep depths The radiant glow scintillated and beamed

The vieondrous to behold, for the lake tee green bushes, and the sound of carp sucking a lily-pads, mother duck, watchful for the predatory pike, scooped the surface for food, with her young trailing behind like a row of bobbing corks

Dab chicks and coots fed in the safe haven of the reed-beds, whilst flashing green and blue dragonflies hovered above A deep sense of serenity overcame her as she stared in rapture at the expanse of blue that lay before her

The autumn breeze tousled Sophia's hair and pinked her cheeks The warmth that had been in the wind just last week had either evaporated into the sky or leached into the earth It gave life to the long grass at the side of the road, still yellowing froust sun

Red, orange and yellow, in various different shades All of theracefully on the soft breeze It was as if a friendly hand was gently lowering theround

Whispers between these leaves filled the air, whispers anddrink of cool water after hours in a desert The breeze fluttered around, gently caressing everything it touched with fingers that had been a co, lonely years

The tree was ablaze, or at least appeared to be Leaves of brilliant yellow, bright orange and subtle red tainted slightly by the brown crispness of late autumn

The leaves swaying gently dancing in the breeze as they took the last steps of there lives to their bitter but inevitable death The breeze lifting and spinning the leaves allowing theracefully tumble and float