Changes

There's even more of a sense of urgency in this story than usual: in eight days' time Albia, despite her misgivings about the marital state, is due to wed the aforesaid Manlius. To Albia's mind no one can possibly be this happy: with the dry-as-dust wit she's picked up from Dad she assures us at frequent intervals that something is bound to snap. Mind you, the lady has a point: after her refusal to be involved in organising anything remotely romantic or girly Manlius somewhat rashly placed all the arrangements for the wedding in the hands of her two sisters, who at sixteen and fourteen know all about these things... or think they do. Add to this the lurking presence of Manlius' interfering ex-wife and a plethora of stroppy in-laws, not to mention a new house Albia hasn't yet seen, and life is more than usually hectic. Of course, all that's before human bones are discovered in the back yard of the down-at-heel bar which Manlius is renovating. Are they the bones of an over-bossy barmaid, murdered (according to legend) by the landlord? As Albia picks her way through the lies and the truths provided by a colourful cast of builders, slaves, grannies and good-time girls, it's hard to fault her utter certainty that anything that can go wrong will without a doubt do so.

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