The characters belong to Eoin Colfer. The Ivy belongs to Caprice Holdings Ltd.



Holly and The Ivy

Few of the theatre-goers on Shaftesbury Avenue paid much attention to the tall, elegantly-dressed, Titian-haired woman in their midst as she turned down West Street and entered The Ivy.

The staff there were far too well trained to show any surprise that her escort was a teenager, though they did find it odd that the reservation was in his name. Still, the name – and the family – were well-known to them, and the boy's Armani suit carried the promise of a generous tip. Their expectations fell slightly when both diners ordered from the vegetarian menu and the woman declined the wine list, opting instead to join her companion in a bottle of Irish Spring Water.

The red-head looked around the crowded restaurant and then, more searchingly, at the young man seated opposite her.
"Don't think I'm ungrateful, Artemis, but just why have I had to put myself through a shape-shifting spell and travel to London?"
"If you remember, I promised to explain the Time Paradox to you over supper."
"But why here, why not at the Manor?"
"Sentiment, Holly, this is where my parents first met."

Choking on her Portobello Mushrooms, Captain Short wondered what, exactly, she was getting herself into.