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Chapters (62)
  1. Title
  2. Copyright
  3. Contents
  4. About the Author
  5. About the Book
  6. Dedication
  7. Your Worst Nightmare
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. The Answer to All Your Prayers
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. THIRTEEN
  22. FOURTEEN
  23. FIFTEEN
  24. SIXTEEN
  25. SEVENTEEN
  26. EIGHTEEN
  27. NINETEEN
  28. TWENTY
  29. TWENTY-ONE
  30. TWENTY-TWO
  31. TWENTY-THREE
  32. TWENTY-FOUR
  33. TWENTY-FIVE
  34. TWENTY-SIX
  35. TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. TWENTY-NINE
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. Somebody Else’s Child
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. FORTY
  50. FORTY-ONE
  51. FORTY-TWO
  52. FORTY-THREE
  53. FORTY-FOUR
  54. FORTY-FIVE
  55. FORTY-SIX
  56. FORTY-SEVEN
  57. FORTY-EIGHT
  58. FORTY-NINE
  59. Sunlight on Water
  60. July
  61. September
  62. Acknowledgements

She’s feeling the pressure easing off, an end-of-term lightness of no immediate obligations.

‘What shall we do now?’ she asks. ‘Shall we go and get something to eat? And how about some Christmas shopping? You could get something for Dad and Grandpa.’

It’s a long shot. Evan’s still uncomfortable in public places, but to her surprise, he shrugs OK. She finds parking on Montpellier Hill, and as they walk together across the park, she notices he’s not clinging to her as much as he usually does when they’re out, maybe because he can see across the open grassy space who’s close by and make his own assessment of threats, unsurprisingly finding none in an elderly couple and a woman walking a pair of dachshunds.

The dachshunds make him smile. As they cross the road to Bettys Tea Rooms, she feels Evan draw closer, seeking protection from the strangers they’re passing on the pavement. But still, Harrogate’s not like down south with its overcrowded supermarkets, its bustling high streets and dense traffic. There’s no need here to get too close to anyone he might want to avoid, and there’s plenty of space to step away from anyone who might remind him of people he’s trying to forget.

As Claire’s hoped, the tea room is an oasis of gentility, like opening a door into another time, a time she can’t herself remember of good manners and polite hospitality. Above all, it feels confidently, unthreateningly safe, a storybook place where nothing worse could possibly happen than that you might spill tea on one of the starched tablecloths. The air is sweet with chocolate and mince pie spices, and she senses Evan relax and dare to take a step away from her, putting an almost normal distance between them.

A waitress dressed in a high-necked blouse and white apron leads them to a table. Evan orders hot chocolate and – loving the name – a Fat Rascal scone. Claire chooses Ceylon Blue Sapphire tea and a slice of lemon curd torte. Their table has a view of the road along the edge of the park, and as they eat and drink, the woman with the dachshunds passes by.