Mum's the Word Author:Dorothy Cannell The island appeared no bigger than a large rock even when the house moved into view. It was an incredible monument to bad taste. "Ben, this mansion is an absolute . . . gothis horror!" The words came accompanied by a dizziness such as I had not experienced since my days of morning sickness. Cleaving to the sides of the boat, I clung also to ... more »the hope that I was coming "over peculiar" due to my condition. Anything was preferable to recognizing that fate had made total fools of us. "Ben!" Sutrggling to my knees, I grabbed his arm. "Don't you remember? The gypsy spoke of the house being surrounded by water? We asumed she meant Merlin's Court because of the moat." His yell of alarm was all I could have s\wished. "Sit down!" And so I did -- with such a thump that an oar flew out of his hand. He made to grab for it, lunged too far and before I could begin to apologize, the boat did a spin and we were both in the drink. "Forgive me, darling," I spluttered. "I know this isn't how you pictured meeting the Manges." Bellyflopping back into the boat, my love said conversationally, "You do realize you've ruined my life?"« less