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Chapters (59)
  1. Cover
  2. ABOUT THE BOOK
  3. Dedication
  4. PREFACE
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  54. CHAPTER FIFTY
  55. ENDING
  56. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  57. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  58. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  59. Also by Val Wood

‘No, come in, please,’ Tannerson said. ‘Take a seat. You are looking rather better than when I last saw you.’

‘I‘m feeling much better, thank you, sir.’ She sat down on the chair and smiled up at Filip, who had got to his feet. He bent towards her and kissed her cheek.

‘I don’t wish to break up a meeting, Mr Tannerson,’ she said. ‘But I was wondering if there had been any developments since we last spoke.’

‘I intended to visit you later today, Mrs Randell,’ Tannerson told her. ‘But let me conclude my business with Mr Bosco.’ He turned to Filip. ‘I like to think this should work to the benefit of both of us. Shall we have another meeting, say the day after tomorrow, to sort out the paperwork?’ He looked down at the open diary on his desk. ‘Ten o’clock?’

‘Excellent!’ Filip said, and Ellen was sure she heard a suppressed exhilaration in his voice. He turned to Ellen. ‘I will wait for you outside, Ellen, and walk home with you.’

She thanked him and said the children were in the yard with her sister. Filip turned again to Tannerson and, putting his hand to his chest, said ‘Thank you, sir,’ before he left.

‘A reliable sort of fellow, would you say, Mrs Randell?’ Tannerson asked her. ‘I understand you know him and his wife quite well.’

‘I do, sir,’ Ellen said. ‘We’ve become firm friends, out of adversity I suppose we could say, in spite of ’short time we’ve known each other. We were all in need of friendship.’

He nodded. ‘Well said.’ He cleared his throat. ‘You are, I’m sure, worried about your husband’s future prospects?’

She nodded nervously.

‘And I’m waiting for insurance details to come through and my lawyer to sort out the compensation and everyone seems to be taking their time; although,’ he added thoughtfully, ‘I must admit there’s a great deal to consider, as everyone agrees that the mill needs completely rebuilding and all the machinery has to be replaced.’

Ellen drew in a deep breath. It sounded as though a lot of work had to be done before the mill could begin to operate again. Whatever would they do for money until then? She would definitely have to find work, and they could say goodbye to the possibility of the small house that Dr Lucan had mentioned. She swallowed hard, but couldn’t prevent tears from trickling down her cheeks.

‘You’re upset, Mrs Randell?’ Tannerson gave a little frown. ‘Is it something I’ve said? I told you that your husband will have work again; you have my promise on that.’