Before the creak of keys in the door, came the cacophony of jeers. It swelled in volume until almost painful on the ears, dying to a faded moan after a few long minutes.The man, in the end cell, closed his eyes in the hope that it would soften the assault on his ears. It did not. Four times a day the yelling occurred, never was it necessary. Animals they were, not men, snarling and howling for their supper. Supper! A gran...

"Ayyyy?"Abigail gritted her teeth. Why couldn't her father ever, not once, manage her full name? She was simply a sound, a noise emitted from between filthy lips when he needed to refer to her. The screech of her first initial was his calling-cry when he wanted her, or a whine when she wasn't good enough."Coming, Father." She picked up the tray, heavy with ale and meat, curling her skeletal fingers around the oak handles...

Nell “Are there no depths to which you would not sink, Rochester?” The younger man laughed unashamedly. “When my lord and master provides me with excellent wine and even better women, the least I can do is lower the tone.” Charles smirked, his hands tightening around my waist. “Help yourself, my man, but keep your hands off this one. She’s mine.” Even after so long, the words still thrilled me to the core, and I twisted a...

Nell “All right, all right, break it up! What’s going on?” I picked up my skirts and ran towards the fight. The mob jeered to see a girl push her way through, but when it became clear that I intended to break them up myself a couple of men stepped in to help me, disentangling Roberts from the ugly man and pulling them apart. Finally under control, they were held within spitting distance, until they stopped struggling and...

Charles Sweet lord, she was beautiful. My eyes widened, as though by doing so they could take in more of her shape, the glistening of water on her soft skin, the spirals of steam that shrouded her heart shaped face in mystery. The tiniest of groans escaped my lips as she rose up through the water. Without so much as glancing around, I heard her voice call out to me, “Charles, if you want to make my bathing a public specta...

Charles “Charles!” My brother clicked his fingers in front of my face and I blinked, jolted back to the present. “Hmm?” “What is up with you this afternoon? Your head is in the clouds; you barely listen when we call your name.” James’ voice was light-hearted, but I could see the weariness in his eyes. “Apologies,” I murmured, but I was still distracted, Nell’s ghost still smiling seductively from every window. In a sudden...

Charles I laughed as her eyes widened to the size of gold coins, her plump little lips dropping into an infinitely kissable O. For a moment she was speechless as she took in the size of the room, the gold leafing of the walls and the heavy velvet curtains. Her footsteps echoed as she clicked towards the bed and ran her fingers through the luxurious fur, closing her eyes in ecstasy as she entwined her hand into its silken...

Nell I liked him. I’ve never been a girl to beat about the bush and I certainly didn’t intend to start with the King. In truth, however, the idea of meeting the man himself had set my stomach fluttering, terrified that the only small talk I knew how to make – bawdy tavern-girl humour – would not amuse royalty. Yet I was the brazen one, the girl whose cock-sure temperament frequently strayed the wrong side of arrogant. If...

Nell The knock was soft, but made us both jump nonetheless. “Don’t get it,” Jamie whispered in my ear, “Whoever it is will go away.” Ignoring him, I climbed to my feet and straightened my skirts. “If you’ve come with gifts or flowers, you’re supposed to leave them at the stage door...” I trailed off. A pair of sparkling gold and diamond buckles adorned shining black shoes. A cloak of velvet hung in ripples across his shou...

For those who have never experienced true cold, the kind that gnaws into your bones and raises the hair on your neck, let me tell you: true cold is white. Your skin bleaches, feeling rubbery, barely part of you any more. Your body bursts into spontaneous shivers, but scarier still are the moments of stillness, only allowing your body to get colder. I huddled deeper into my anorak as I assessed the white plain: beautiful,...

He comes first, lumbering out of the gloomy shadows. Half-asleep, I try to protest, but his fist curls around my collar and he yanks me out of bed. He is the hardened villain of my nightmares who both terrifies and fascinates me.Right now, terrified wins. I give a feeble squeak, which I can't blame him for ignoring."Where's my story?" growls the nameless villain, bearded face forced into mine. "I want it.""I'm sorry," I t...

Click. Click. Click. The high, clear clicks of heels on marble unnerved me, and it was a few moments before I recognised them as my own footsteps. Fear curled in my stomach, trussed up so tightly that I could hardly breathe. I had been forcibly laced into my mother’s wedding dress, hastily altered to fit my narrower frame. My satin heels, loaned under protest from my youngest sister, pinched my toes tighter with each step...

That summer, it was too hot. We didn’t have a thermometer, and even if we had, the little red lines and numbers wouldn’t have meant much to me. But I knew that it wasn’t normal. It couldn’t be. By the time the church clock struck ten it was already too stifling to venture outside. The sun had swelled to an angry pulsing ball of fire which I had come to regard as evil, lancing my eyes with pain when it glanced off the shin...

Let me introduce you to Cara.She was beautiful. Hazel-brown eyes in a clear face, rounding when she smiled. A fiery light sparkled in each eye when you spoke to her about something she loved. Or hated. She had a temper like a cat, spitting when annoyed, but stroke her belly and all was forgiven at once. Passionate about everything, she'd never let you down. The attention span of a puppy, and the loyalty, and the bravery....

This is the last will and testament of Celia Farrow. May God have mercy upon my soul. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to die. Mum. Julia Emily Farrow. My mother. I love you. I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry I won't be there to watch Eastenders with you and hold on to you during the sad moments. I'm sorry you won't have a shopping partner any more to tell you when your earrings don't match. You're always so forgetful. I love you....