Roman Holiday by Jodi Taylor Read Free Book Online

news,’ said Peterson, cheerfully. ‘The Sonic Scream thing seems to work.’
    ‘While I am certain the technical section rejoices in that knowledge,’ said Dr Bairstow, ‘I suspect that thought is not uppermost in their minds at this moment. They appear to be anxious to discuss recent events with you. Should any of you survive, I look forward to reading your inadequate excuses for returning from your assignment in such an unexpectedly destructive manner.’
    He turned and limped away.
    The technical section closed in for the kill.
    ‘I blame Markham,’ said Peterson, much later. We were in the bar, settling our nerves.
    Markham, who had been eyeing Nurse Hunter in his usual besotted fashion, sat up indignantly, although I can’t think why. It can’t have been the first time he’d heard those words uttered.
    ‘What baffles me,’ I said, in an attempt to head the argument off at the pass, ‘is why no one ever said how ugly she was. Cleopatra, I mean. You could have launched ships off that nose.’
    ‘Maybe,’ said Van Owen, ‘they just didn’t want to admit their leading men fell for a woman who looked like a camel.’
    We nodded wisely.
    ‘Am I right in thinking we did A Good Thing there?’ asked Guthrie. ‘I’m assuming no one was supposed to die today. Except us, of course, and that happens so frequently, I’ve stopped worrying about it.’
    We nodded again, each of us running through the implications in our minds. Of course, if it hadn’t been us, someone else might easily have spotted the asps amongst the figs. But if they hadn’t … If one or both of them had died … It really didn’t bear thinking about. Guthrie was right – just for once, we’d done a Really Good Thing today.
    Mrs Partridge appeared in the doorway, an ominously large number of ‘Deductions from Wages for Damages Incurred’ forms in her hand.
    Markham groaned. A doomed attempt to reproduce Native American smoke signals had resulted in an unexpectedly large conflagration, the destruction of a small copse, the incineration of a surprisingly large number of blankets, and a letter of protest from the parish council. These days, very little of his wages remained for damages incurred to be deducted from. Any day now, he would be paying Dr Bairstow.
    And behind Mrs Partridge loomed a very large and still very irate Dieter.
    We resisted the temptation to huddle together for mutual reassurance.
    ‘Well, I’ll be OK,’ I said, reaching for my drink. ‘I’m Chief Operations Officer. I outrank him.’
    ‘And I’m Chief Training Officer,’ said Peterson. ‘No problem here.’
    ‘I’m Head of Security,’ said Guthrie. ‘I’m safe.’
    ‘I’m a girl,’ said Van Owen, fluttering her eyelashes.
    We all stared at Mr Markham.
    ‘You utter bastards,’ he said.
    THE END

The Chronicles of St. Mary’s Series
by Jodi Taylor
         
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and other Accent Press titles
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A seasonal short story

    It’s Christmas Day 1066 and a team from St Mary’s is going to witness the coronation of William the Conqueror.
    Or so they think.
    However, History seems to have different plans for them and when Max finds herself delivering a child in a peasant's 

The Nothing Girl

    Jodi Taylor brings all her comic writing skills to this heart-warming tale of self-discovery.
    Known as “The Nothing Girl” because of her severe stutter and chronically low self-confidence, Jenny Dove is only just prevented from ending it all by the sudden appearance of Thomas, a mystical golden horse only she can see. Under his guidance, Jenny unexpectedly acquires a husband  –  the charming and chaotic Russell Checkland  –  and for her, nothing will ever be the same again.
    With over-protective relatives on one hand and the world's most erratic spouse on the other, Jenny needs to become Someone. And fast!
    Fans of Jodi Taylor's best-selling Chronicles of St Mary's