D. B. Wainfleet

This week's chapter is a bit longer. Why does a proposal of marriage anger Celestia? What happened at the Dodd Steel factory in Newburgh? And how did Mr. Dodd take a virtual trip down the Mississippi in 1847? Find out!
          
          “Rather long-winded, isn’t he?” said Mr. Dodd when Celestia had finished reading. “What do you make of it?”
          
          Celestia looked down again at the two-page letter from Walter Branley, the handwriting small and restrained in contrast to the comparative bravado of his words.
          
          “I don’t think it would be possible to craft a letter that would make me less inclined to want to marry him,” she said.

New chapter posted today! Celestia has a disturbing nightmare and an even more disturbing message from her grandmother:
          
          "My contact in London forwarded the following telegram from Chief Inspector Brundall-Jones. Evidently nothing on the man named Vig, but it appears that you’re into something with this Smullings. I trust you’ll proceed with due caution. Don’t hesitate to let me know if I may be of further service."
          
          Read Chapter Seventeen to find out what Celestia has learned about Roderick Smullings, aka Oristano.

Celestia looked at them with a disapproving frown. “We can’t simply break in!”
          
          “I was wondering,” said Gerald, “if Tom Gage might be able to charm Mrs. Savona, the landlady, into providing a key. She seems to hold no great affection for her tenants.”
          
          “I can’t let you risk that, Gerald,” said Celestia. “You’d be breaking the law!”
          
          “Well, Tom Gage would be breaking the law,” said Bella.
          
          “I don’t think Gerald’s disguise would help him much if he were apprehended by police.”
          
          “But I wouldn’t get caught!” said Gerald.
          
          “Besides,” said Bella, “if Mrs. Savona lets him in, then it’s hardly a crime at all, is it?”
          
          Gerald and Bella have been a great help to Celestia, but might they also be bad influences? You decide for yourself. Chapter Sixteen is ready for you!

“… This knowledge, gleaned from ancient and forgotten tomes, the arcane wisdom that is locked away in dark vaults in Europe’s great museums and libraries and in the timeless temples of Cairo, Stamboul and Fez, the secrets to life’s ineffable mysteries, hidden from view, neglected, spurned by arrogant modernity, but waiting to be rediscovered by the open mind of a willing and determined adept. Friends, I ask you now to stare not into my eyes, but into the Eye of Shahvar, for that is the eternal eye, the eye with the power to see where our eyes see only darkness, to see beyond the veil…”
          
          Thus begins the first séance with Oristano. Where will it lead? Find out in Chapter Fifteen, posted today!

Chapter Fourteen is fresh off the presses! Celestia shares her theory about Prentice's fate with Clara Braddock and has an uncomfortable realization atop the massive stone walls of the Croton Reservoir.

Have a happy holiday of your choice, my friends! May the festive season find you among family and friends, warm, well-fed and joyful.

Chapter Thirteen is ready for you, dear reader. Prepare yourself for a visit from Grandmother Letitia and her dog, Bertrand!
          
          ...
          
          “I see,” said Mrs. Sturtevant. “Did Miss Caswell also explain that, in the weeks prior to his untimely death, the Baron had reported his suspicion that he was slowly being poisoned by his servants?”
          
          There were audible gasps around the table. “Poisoned?” asked Mr. Witherspoon in disbelief.
          
          “Poisoned,” confirmed Mrs. Sturtevant.

I keep changing my mind on this chapter length thing, so I guess they'll just be as long as they need to be. Here's another bite-sized one for you. Fewer calories but same great taste!
          
          A sample:
          
          “The Eye of Shahvar has great power and Oristano knows how to harness it. It helps him to open his ‘mind’s eye,’” said Mr. Croydon, his excitement increasing.
          
          “Allowing him to communicate with the spirits,” said Miss Bischoff. “It was given to him by an unknown woman in the Kasbah of Marrakesh.”
          
          “It is unimaginably ancient, and its magic is difficult to control,” added Mr. Croydon. “The woman seemed eager to be rid of it.”
          
          “Of course she was!” said Miss Bischoff. “She was frightened by its power! Yet somehow she recognized Oristano as one who could master it. He and Dr. Zephyr have spent years learning its mysteries and proper use.”

Just an update... I'm going back on what I said about shorter chapters, so I'm reworking the last one and getting the next one ready. Won't be long!
          
          In the meantime, I've added some visual treats and some musical suggestions to help you get into an 1880s headspace. See what you think:
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/1483403326-celestia-dodd-book-1-the-eye-of-shahvar-author%27s
          
          D.B.

New chapter is out today:
          
          “Miss Braddock doesn’t want to believe it was suicide.”
          
          “What then?” he asked loudly, suddenly angered by the conversation. “Are you suggesting that someone pushed him?”
          
          “No, Mr. Corbin, I didn’t say that. I…”
          
          “I didn’t push William out the window!”
          
          Celestia seems to have touched a nerve, but did Randolph Corbin kill his business partner in a fit of rage?
          
          This chapter was a little delayed. I'm trying to keep my chapters down to a more bite-sized length. Thinking of your busy lives, dear readers! Anyway, that meant reworking a previously written chapter into this one and the next. Hope you like it!