Chapter 14 of Through different Eyes has been uploaded.
In other news, Through different Eyes has made it into the finals of a book competition, which is great news... but there's a way to do yet.
Here's an excerpt from Chapter 14.
I finished my drink and wandered over to the esky. I crouched to acquire another coke, Aunt Anastasia’s warning about my skirt sounding in my head. As I stood, a shadow fell over me.
“You’re this mystery girl we’ve been hearing about.” The voice belonged to a red-haired girl taller than me, wearing a pale green pants suit and large, gold ring earrings.
I sipped my coke, returning her gaze. “I don’t think I’m mysterious. I’m me.”
She reached across and held the Russian eagle hanging at my throat with her fingers. She let it go and looked with narrowed eyes. “Well, despite that, I know you’re not Russian. Where are you from?”
I let my much-suppressed teasing side out and answered her in Russian. “I’m Karlota, half English and half German”.
She blinked – not a Russian speaker.
My tease took over and I tried her again, in Polish, German and finally French. I was smiling as I finished.
“You’re Karlota and you’re … English and German?” Her head was on one side as her eyes narrowed again, trying to size me up.
I raised my eyebrows in acknowledgement.
She regarded me for a few more seconds before her shoulders relaxed and she took a sip from the wineglass in her hand. “Do you speak all those languages?”
“Yes, I do – and English.”
She laughed and put out her hand. “I’m Deborah. Pleased to meet you.” Her face changed. “You speak French, German, Russian and,” her voice had a touch of wonder. “… what was the other one?”
“Polish.”
“Goodness. And you’re a friend of Madame Zaytseva?”
I smiled. “Do you speak Spanish?” My tease still in command.
Deborah blinked in confusion. “No … what makes you think I do?”
I awarded her a mischievous look. “All these questions made me wonder if you were from the Inquisition.”
Deborah’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “Very good.”
We shared the smile for a moment.
“Call me Deb. And … Karlota …” She stumbled over the multiple different pronunciations she’d heard, particularly the way I had emphasised my Rs. “… is quite a mouthful…”
“I’m Kal to my friends.”
“Well, I hope we can be friends, Kal, as I can’t see myself rolling my R’s the way you do.” She took another sip of wine. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Which one was that?”
“Madame Zaytseva…”
I wasn’t sure where this was heading. “Yes – we’re sort of friends.”
“You were at the Easter Ball with her, weren’t you? There was a photo of you dancing with Maxim in the Russian newspaper.”
I gave her a non-committal nod.
Deborah’s eyes narrowed. “The ball and that photo caused a stir. Maxim is the most eligible Russian bachelor. My mother’s always trying to push me into his path,” she sniffed. “Like all the other mothers.”
Maxim must be quite a catch to be the matrimonial target of the Russian mothers.
“Your mother’s Russian.”
Deb chuckled. “I’m a half-breed, like you. My father’s Irish.”
“But you’ve not learned Russian from your mother?”
She frowned in surprise. “Why would I do that? This is Australia and we all speak English.” She paused, subjecting me to a speculative look. “But I think I understand about your languages. You had to learn English, didn’t you?”
“We lived in Germany when I was little – I learned English when we moved to England.” How easily the lies slip out … but at least that was a half-truth.
“That explains English and German. What about the others?”
I shrugged. “I had a Polish friend in England and we swapped languages. I’m learning French at school and Madame Zaytseva is teaching me Russian. She thinks I have a talent for languages.”
“I’d say she was right,” Deb smiled, looking across the pool. “You’ve been hanging around in the background – come and meet some of the girls.”
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Iskander