Bye-Ways

In the still heat of a Moroccan night, Renfrew lies awake beneath a canvas tent, the whine of jackals and distant rustle of wild boar the only soundtrack to his thoughts. He watches the dunes of Tangier‑Tetuan roll away, while his new wife, the famed actress Claire, sleeps in a nearby camp, her fame and mystery folded like the silk of her veil. The desert’s restless creatures mirror the restless stir of Renfrew’s imagination as he wrestles with the sudden, whirlwind marriage that shocked both London society and his own heart.

The couple’s honeymoon feels more like a stage rehearsal than a quiet getaway. Claire, ever dramatic, toys with a dagger on the table and promises a fright that will outdo any performance, hinting at hidden plans that could change their future. As the night deepens, Renfrew senses that the serene landscape may conceal dangers as slippery as the snakes Claire is famed to charm, leaving him to wonder whether love or legend will dominate their first days together.