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A woman living alone in a coastal Sussex town in 1998 plants a copper beech sapling at 3 a.m. on a dark, cold night. Why?
A ballet dancer in 1960s East Germany is oppressed, longs for escaping with his little daughter but not his wife. Why? Will he make it?
In 2022 Karsten von Stein, widower and principal of the Royal Ballet, with two young children, meets Ivone Benjamim, a Portuguese, newly-arrived principal dancer. They discover a magical chemistry when dancing and soon it transfers to their private lives.
Against the background of ballet and its dancers, a woman called Grace tells her story from a rehab centre. Obsessive, delusional she begins believing Ivone robbed her of the man of her dreams—Karsten. And then a skeleton is found in a garden…What connects all these people and their stories?
You’ll be the audience facing the stage of this balletic novel.
Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt
Karsten steps briskly away, heading towards Covent Garden, cursing his decision to leave car and motorbike at home, taking the bus and walking from the stop in Trafalgar Square. He enjoys walking on the Strand but today has turned out to be a bad idea. Those two women. He increases his pace, not wanting to be late. Glancing at the time on his mobile he exclaims aloud that he must hurry, causing two older women to stare.
Breaking into a run up Wellington Street, Karsten turns left onto Russell Street, glancing with longing at the mouth-watering pastéis de nata, the Portuguese custard tartlets on the window of the minuscule Santa Nata café. He should buy some to take home. The kids would like them. Quickly he steps in and asks for a box with four of the delicious pastries, pays contactless and leaves towards the Covent Garden piazza. He turns sharply right into the arcades, running to the Royal Opera House’s revolving doors. Entering he exchanges greetings with the doorman while his gaze searches the space around. Gabriela is in the shop checking some of the souvenirs and jewellery.
Waving he calls out, ‘Gabi.’
Moving her eyes in his direction she sees him, smiles widely and runs towards him.
‘I almost thought you’d stood me up,’ she says, laughing at her own joke, ‘but knowing you’re performing tonight I knew you’d come sooner or later.’
‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ he answers, kissing her cheek, ‘you won’t believe what just happened.’
‘What?’ then, pointing at the box in his hand she admonishes, ‘you stopped at Santa Nata for pastries!’
Karsten stares down at his hands and chuckles. Removing his backpack he carefully places the boxed tartlets inside, saying, ‘Let’s have something to drink and eat while I tell you what really happened and it wasn’t the stop at Santa Nata.’
They head for the opera house café counter to choose and place their order. Gabi buys a sandwich with cheese and chorizo, a small bowl of olives and a salad. She orders a glass of white wine. Karsten doesn’t eat much on working evenings opting instead for a salad, banana and bottle of mineral water. The girl at the till recognises him and throws him a dazzling smile.
‘Good luck tonight,’ she says.
‘Thank you,’ he replies sincerely.
He and Gabi sit at a table and while eating he tells her what just happened on the Strand. At the end he states he doesn’t really want to go to the brunch next morning.
‘So why did you accept?’ Gabi mumbles, munching a mouthful of sandwich.
‘I felt it was rude to refuse and this Lacey was pushy. I could hardly get a word in.’
‘And the other one?’
‘Quiet. Seemed embarrassed. Blushed.’
‘You’re her hero now. You saved her…or she recognised you.’
He shakes his head. ‘Of course not. I’m certain she’s no idea who I am. I think she thought her friend was being a little obnoxious, that’s all.’
About the Author: 
M G da Mota is Margarida Mota-Bull’s pen name for fiction. She is a Portuguese-British novelist with a love for classical music, ballet and opera. Under her real name she also writes reviews of live concerts, CDs, DVDs and books for two classical music magazines on the web: MusicWeb International and Seen and Heard International. She is a member of the UK Society of Authors, speaks four languages and lives in Sussex with her husband. Her website, called flowingprose.com, contains photos and information.
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