Excerpt: Dark Meetings

She stepped outside into the cool night air and shivered a little in the breeze, the September nights were definitely getting colder as autumn increased its grip. She walked slowly down the gravel path thinking about what Katie had said. Had it been wise to invite George as well as Robert? How would the reunion party go if the two of them were constantly sniping at each other? But she could not invite Rosie without snubbing George nor leave Robert out. She gave a short sigh as she deviated from the path back to the house and wandered over to the Rose Garden that had recently been replanted. Things had been much simpler ten years ago at university. It had been quite a crowded house, three boys and four girls sharing the same accommodation for two years. Katie, Phillipa, Rosie, Charlotte, Bill, Robert and James had grown quite close to each other in such a short space of time and yet now, ten years later, they all seemed to have drifted so far apart. That was the main reason for holding this reunion party tonight, to try and rekindle old friendships and patch broken ones. She realised now that this was why she had invited both George and Robert despite their animosity.
She shook her head and gazed up at the clear night sky, it would have been a good night for stargazing and she thought longingly of the small observatory she had had built in the grounds of Allington Hall.
She was so deep in thought that she never heard someone walking up behind her and felt only the chill of the knife blade as it slipped almost gently across her neck.