Everyone above has summed up this story perfectly! This was a lovely read and such a treat when on opening the link I saw the little scroll bar to the right get smaller and smaller indicating a long story from you, just what I wanted for Christmas!

You have such a lovely eye for details and practicalities – ‘The trivet, a pair of firedogs, and assorted ancient pokers’ – all these things make your fic so believable, ground it in realism, as a reader I so appreciate all your research!

Words sparkle, like about the pints – ‘decently drawn and darkly promising’.

And – ‘he passed his gaze down the hillocks and hollows that were the rest of Doyle’

It’s an art form to get words so visual, you do this so well.

Also humorous – ‘“Deign to sit? It’s getting you on your feet that’s the problem,” Doyle retorted, and Bodie acknowledged a fair hit with a nod of his head and a smirk.’

And another fave: ‘But Bodie grinned back as he spoke, purely because he couldn’t help it, there was no resisting Doyle in this soft mood.

“Sod off.” Doyle turned back to the window, gazed some more.’

I like the contrast between ‘Doyle in this soft mood’ and then Doyle’s first words after that!

Great storyline and characters as well, I echo those above and hope you revisit that village!

MB x