Verity Birdwood 1. The old crowd had gathered at Aunt Alice's once again - to pick apples in a chilly orchard in the Blue Mountains and to swap reminiscences around the fire as the mists came secretly down...the Tender family and a few old, dear friends. A normal, happy house party... Or was there something different about this year? The tension was rising - Something - or someone - wasn't quite right. Kate could feel it. Birdie could feel it too. But neither of them guessed what would happen at the breaking point; neither of them guessed that soon, under the apple trees, someone would die...