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Back A Place to Call Home Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. Epilogue
  58. Author’s Note
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. More from Fay Keenan
  61. About the Author
  62. About Boldwood Books

Charlie smiled in a way that reminded her, yet again, of the adorable teenager he once was. ‘Of course I do. The thought of having you in the gallery as I make my speaking debut will make the whole thing a lot less nerve-wracking.’ He kissed her gently. ‘And who knows – perhaps it’ll even win me back your vote!’

‘I wouldn’t go that far,’ Holly laughed. ‘Pretty speeches don’t exactly convince me any more.’

‘Fair enough,’ Charlie replied. ‘But will you allow me to buy you dinner afterwards?’

‘I think I could stretch to that,’ Holly said. ‘Should I, er, change my train ticket and catch an early one back here on Thursday morning?’

Charlie’s face lit up. ‘If you want to spend the night in my minuscule London crash pad, you are more than welcome.’

‘I’d love to,’ Holly replied. ‘Now, hadn’t you better go off and have your coffee? I’m keeping the shop open a little bit longer until trade tails off.’

‘OK.’ Charlie leaned forward and kissed her. ‘I’ll see you in a bit.’

As she watched Charlie wander out through the front door of the shop, she felt an unsettling flood of emotions: worry and concern for poor Harry and Rachel, cooped up in the BRHC for the immediate future, and a real smattering of nerves for Charlie and his upcoming moment during PMQs. Both, in her mind, seemed inextricably and painfully linked.

31

‘You know, as your MP, I will do everything I can to push Harry’s case forward, don’t you?’ Charlie said as they began to climb the steep bank to the flat-topped hill that stood, proud and watchful over the Vale of Somerset. Holly had been acquainting him with some of the things she and Rachel had been doing to raise awareness of Harry’s condition, and the need for new medications, as they’d wandered from where they’d parked the car near the foot of Willowbury Hill.

‘I know,’ Holly sighed. ‘But Harry’s so little, and so much time has been wasted already, it’s difficult to feel hopeful. Don’t get me wrong,’ she added hurriedly, ‘I know you’ll do your best, but you and I both know the wheels of government and legislation turn so slowly that I’m afraid Harry will run out of time before he gets access to the next generation of drugs. Nearly three hundred CF patients have died in the time it’s taken for the authorities and the drug companies to debate this so far. How many more will lose their fight before they come to an agreement on price?’