A Silver Lining Read online

  It was a beautiful spring morning. The sky was fresh and such a light blue that it looked like it had been scrubbed clean with a hard brush and bleach. Rose inhaled some of the fresh spring air, pulling it deep into her lungs. She wandered around the garden for a few aimless minutes until she finally located her canvas flats in a patch of long grass, slightly damp with dew. She eased them onto her feet, wincing slightly as the shoe pressed against burnt skin.

  She’d spent the hours in Charlotte’s daydreaming about Daniel, wondering whether or not he would call, and trying to block out the high-pitched shriek of a colicky Amelia which pierced through her delicate head.

  He rang her the next day, inviting her to a small production that some friends of his were holding in a vacant rental unit in the Docklands. The play was awful, largely down to the fact that two of the main actresses had been cast more for their looks than for their talent. Daniel took her backstage afterwards and introduced her to the cast. She’d dredged up enthusiasm, telling the two lead women that they’d been fantastic, who nodded cooly, taking such praise as their due.

  They’d gone for a drink in a local bar, a monument to the Celtic Tiger period, which had been built to quench the thirst of the workers in Dublin’s financial district. Recent months had seen many jobs disappear from the area, and cranes hung in the sky beside building projects that had long since been abandoned. The bar that would have once been crammed to the top of its stylish metal rafters with after-work revellers now had only a few customers so the large group of cast and groupies had little trouble squeezing in.

  Rose had been worried that she’d be stuck making small talk to the terrible twins, so she was relieved to be wedged between Daniel and the lighting assistant Guy, who, sensing a kindred no-bullshit spirit in Rose, whispered bitchy comments to her out of the side of his mouth like a ventriloquist, leaving her in kinks of laughter. Afterwards, Daniel and Rose had walked across the Sean O’Casey Bridge, and stared toward the city lights which burned brightly against the dark night sky.

  Daniel leaned over and kissed her gently. All she was aware of was the softness of his lips, the feel of his body against hers, his warmth contrasting with the cold wind that was blowing in from the coast.

  She pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes. Yes, she thought. He’s the one I want.

  *** *** ***

  Storms in Teacups is available from Amazon, Smashwords & Kobo

  About the Author

  Christine Murray is a bestselling contemporary fiction & fantasy author from Dublin, Ireland. Before embarking on a writing career, she studied history at university and has a master’s degree in medical history. She also worked as a freelance journalist and ghost-writer.

  When not writing, Christine enjoys reading, watching spy thrillers and spending too much money at make-up counters. She loves both coffee and cocktails, and thinks that the espresso martini might just be the most underrated invention of all time. You can find out more about her on her website, or alternatively you can find her on Twitter and Facebook.

  Website: http://www.christine-murray.com

  Blog: http://www.mermaiden.ie

  Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MurrayChristine

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/christinemurraybooks

  Table of Contents

  A Silver Lining

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  About the Author

  Table of Contents

  A Silver Lining

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  About the Author