Historical
JACK OF DIAMONDS
CHAP 2 PT1 (IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS...) i Jenny Ashcroft pulled her dressing gown tight, sitting in the half darkness of her boudoir, staring at her reflection in the bevelled mirror of her dressing table. She was sipping a large glass of whiskey--neat--wondering where she'd gone wrong with her life. How could she have let herself fall for a man she knew nothing about? Because she was a stunning beauty, men had always gravitated toward her, and as such she’d always had an easy time of things. With long, dark hair cascading down the middle of her back in rings and curls, and grey eyes that captivated a man’s soul, she had high cheekbones that played with the single dimple on her left cheek whenever she smiled. Her complexion was a milky white, her lips full bodied and dark in the soft light of a waxing moon coming in through the open window. The light came in at a slant, the slats between the panes of glass casting long shadows that stretched across the parquet floor as if they were the bars of a cage. She sought a cigarette from somewhere in the folds of her dressing gown. Straightening the cigarette once she found it, she began striking the lighter. It took more than a moment for it to ignite, and when it did, the flash of the lighter forced her to shut her eyes. But she did it, finally exhaling a large cloud of smoke at the moonlight coming in through the window as she let slip a silent tear.
By ben woestenburg5 years ago in Fiction
JACK OF DIAMONDS
(Chap1-pt3 THE ROAD TO MANDALAY) iii The lane was a single rutted track of unpaved road after two weeks of heavy rain. The sun was up, but it was still early enough to remind Artie of just how much he'd rather be curled up in the arms of a beautiful woman who wanted nothing more than to enjoy the day with him. The low rolling hills steamed in the morning sun all the same, a light mist seeming to catch on the trees and hedgerows, the distant farms looking like a smudge in a Turner painting.
By ben woestenburg5 years ago in Fiction
JACK OF DIAMONDS
(Chap 1--pt2: The Road To Mandalay...) ii Artie followed Reggie and Claire through the kitchen door, carrying an oversized crate of beets. For a moment, he thought he may have taken too much at once, and then shook his head as if in response to a silent conversation he was having with himself.
By ben woestenburg5 years ago in Fiction
JACK OF DIAMONDS
(CHAPTER 1 part 1)--THE ROAD TO MANDALAY.... Artie could see that the grounds of Mandalay Manor were kept neat, and trim. The brushes growing along the base of the foundation were all cut back from the windows--which should make for easier climbing, he reminded himself--but still, he was amazed at how the ivy always somehow managed to cling to the walls by leeching onto the masonry. He imagined the flowers lining the hedges blossomed in vivid colours of green, red, gold and purple--but they were gone now, he conceded, their season long over. The paving stones lining the circular drive were still slick with dew, the horse's flanks steaming in the morning light as Reggie slowed the cart to a regular walk.
By ben woestenburg5 years ago in Fiction
