The House - an adult fairy tale set in Jane Austen's time

Perchance you are a spirit then, what glorious happenstance that you should visit me, how sublimely metaphysical!

Clad only in a torn night dress, a woman finds herself, late one afternoon, in an ancient forest. How she arrived there remains a mystery, both to her and the reader. Finally a frightful looking house arrives in view. Night is moving in and faced with the prospect of remaining in a wood, where only wolves and predators revel, she reluctantly seeks refuge in this unwelcoming house.

Once inside, and taken aback by a most unexpected interior, she soon discovers a room where a magic portal laying in wait transports her to a Georgian estate. Here, a baleful altercation with a beastly drunkard Lord of the estate (archetype to the evil wolf in traditional tales) sets the tone for the narrative. Unable to find an escape route, she remains confined in this somber historical setting for many months, interacting with a curiously dysfunctional household.

Finally she finds her way back to the enigmatic house from which a journey to Regency London follows, where she meets with an interesting cast of individuals. Although it soon emerges that there is a relationship between the characters from both periods, the mystery surrounding her presence continues to confound all.

One foggy eve, a down cast man arrives and is introduced to the time traveller. When their eyes meet, an inexplicable sense of familiarity is felt by both. Returning home after a large stretch in Florence, the poet is instantly taken with this mysterious beauty, a meeting that promises restoration for the heart broken man.

Frustratingly however, there are obstacles hindering this unusual love match. Soon a past life connection emerges. And by the last pages, many pieces of the puzzle form a startling picture. Upon the final curtain, the biggest surprise of all is revealed. With a conclusion, that, although bizarre is positive, like all good fairy tales.