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Prologue

West Broland, 1953

Office of Dr Raymond Fellowes

“I'nus is Transfigured Please accept rave “There's nothing further that can be done, I'm afraid”

“But, what do youcan be done? How can that even be? I don't understand,” his ured No one in our family is”

Magnus listened on as the doctor explained about jeans, but he wasn't sure what his trousers had to do with anything, though And what did Transfigured mean? By the time the doctor started to drone on about blue eyes and recessive jeans, he just wanted to go color His h He wasn't going anywhere So instead he swung his feet back and forth wildly, wishing he could be anywhere else

He caught small snatches of the conversation, but they didn't really ht and being a grown up It was tough to follow because they were using big words, though Magnus really hated when they did that It seeh hours had passed but eventually, the doctor left When they were finally able to leave, he tugged on her hand and said, “Mum Mum”

His mother looked down at hinus?”

“If , I can just take them off You don't have to cry, Mum”

She blinked at him in confusion, then dropped to her knees in the car park Tears strea down her face, she pulled hiainst his shirt “Oh, my dear sweet boy!”

Magnus still had no idea as going on, but for the first tihtened

Chapter One

Magnus Corbett set the boning knife down and turned to face his boss, Lilly For such a tiny wo her presence known Truth be told, she actually intimidated him a little bit Not that he'd ever admit that aloud That wouldn't do much for his “kitchen bad ass” reputation

She was frighteningly tenacious when it ca her way, too He remembered when she had initially reached out with the offer to install him as head chef of her new restaurant He'd dismissed it out of hand New restaurant, in a casino? Not for him

He had assuner crap that he'd been used to doing He could have just as easily continued doing that at The Park There would be no need for him to take a risk, or sell out

She had badgered hi He'd done it just to get her to go away, but when Lilly had explained her concept, he'd really liked the idea Both she and her husband hiskey aficionados They wanted a warreat whiskey and equally great food They were looking for warm, humble comfort food dishes with flair It was the sort of food that he had alanted to cook but had never found the right arena for He'd agreed to take the job on the spot He hadn't knohich one of them was more surprised by that Lilly or himself

The nah, which was the Gaelic word for whiskey He'd thought it was a clever idea The ot to know her, the more he realized that she was incredibly calculated Not in a bad way She just knehat she wanted and would accept no less He could respect that

“Are you going to just stand there and watchyou wanted?” he asked, slanting a look in her direction

“I aiting patiently until you were done,” she explained, giving him a sour look

“Well then you'll be waiting a while Talk while I work, otherwise this rabbit stew isn't getting done,” he ordered, picking the boning knife back up and slicing into the thigh meat

“You're lucky your accent is charnus It sounds polite even when you're basically telling me to fuck off Let er Caroline at so to start serving a sin-based cocktails and I'd like some small bites and meals to pair with them”

“Christ,” he e chunks of rabbit that he'd just de-boned into the large pot “I've got my hands full in the kitchen I don't have the time to play bartender, too”

Another slightly annoyed voice piped up “You wouldn't be playing bartender That'sthat pairs hat I've created”