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Back A Place to Call Home
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

‘Hello, Mr Thorpe,’ a voice on the other end said when he’d identified himself. ‘This is Peter Eddington from the news website AllFeed here. Do you have any comment on the story that’s about to break that you put pressure on a vulnerable constituent to sleep with you in exchange for political help?’

‘Wh-what?’ Charlie was instantly alert. ‘Where has this come from?’

‘I can’t reveal my sources, as you well know by now,’ Eddington replied. ‘Just wanted to see if I could add your version of events to the story before it goes live on the site tonight.’

‘No,’ Charlie replied. ‘No comment at all.’

Hand shaking, he pressed the end-call button on his phone and sat back in his chair, mind reeling. Where the hell had this come from? As if it wasn’t bad enough that Holly thought he was an unprincipled shit, now his name was going to be linked to hers and splashed all over the internet. Hands still shaking, he dialled Tom Fielding’s number.

‘Tom? Sorry, I know it’s late. Has anyone from the media been on to you?’ Briefly he outlined his conversation with the reporter. Tom’s advice was succinct and to the point. ‘OK, no, I’ll stick to the no-comment line. We’ll meet when I get home tomorrow night… No, I haven’t spoken to her… No, I don’t think she’s the one who’s spoken to them. I know she’s angry with me, but it’s not her style. She’s more concerned with getting publicity for the CF campaign and this won’t help it at all.’ He rubbed his free hand over his eyes. ‘OK. Goodnight, Tom.’

Charlie was stumped. He and Holly were two freely consenting adults. There was no abuse of trust there at all. They both knew what they were doing, and until it had all gone sour, it had been the best thing in his life. Who the hell would have the credibility and standing to leak this story and be believed?

He thought about phoning Holly, just to see if she could shed any light on where the story might have come from, but hesitated. Perhaps it was better to try to see her in person. A masochistic yearning for details then made him navigate to Twitter to see if the story had been picked up in places other than AllFeed.