BooksBarbecue
Back Goodnight Lady
Chapters (60)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Praise
  4. Dedication
  5. BOOK ONE
  6. Prologue 1989
  7. Chapter One
  8. Chapter Two
  9. Chapter Three
  10. Chapter Four
  11. Chapter Five
  12. Chapter Six
  13. Chapter Seven
  14. Chapter Eight
  15. Chapter Nine
  16. BOOK TWO - 1925
  17. Chapter Ten - 1925
  18. Chapter Eleven
  19. Chapter Twelve
  20. Chapter Thirteen
  21. Chapter Fourteen
  22. Chapter Fifteen
  23. Chapter Sixteen
  24. Chapter Seventeen
  25. Chapter Eighteen
  26. Chapter Nineteen
  27. Chapter Twenty
  28. Chapter Twenty-one
  29. Chapter Twenty-two
  30. Chapter Twenty-three
  31. Chapter Twenty-four
  32. Chapter Twenty-five
  33. Chapter Twenty-six
  34. Chapter Twenty-seven
  35. Chapter Twenty-eight
  36. Chapter Twenty-nine
  37. Chapter Thirty
  38. Chapter Thirty-one
  39. Chapter Thirty-two
  40. BOOK THREE - 1947
  41. Chapter Thirty-three
  42. Chapter Thirty-four
  43. Chapter Thirty-five
  44. Chapter Thirty-six
  45. Chapter Thirty-seven
  46. Chapter Thirty-eight
  47. Chapter Thirty-nine
  48. Chapter Forty
  49. BOOK FOUR - 1968
  50. Chapter Forty-one - 1968
  51. Chapter Forty-two
  52. Chapter Forty-three
  53. Chapter Forty-four
  54. Chapter Forty-five
  55. Chapter Forty-six
  56. Chapter Forty-seven
  57. Chapter Forty-eight
  58. Chapter Forty-nine
  59. Chapter Fifty - 1970
  60. EPILOGUE

‘I could never share anything before, not really. Not with a man. Not with you. I honestly never thought of you really, all those years ago. I didn’t wonder what your reaction would be to anything, and it wasn’t because I was selfish. At least, I don’t think it was. I think it was because I didn’t know how to be with a man. Not really. Not properly. Henry Dumas and me dad saw to that. Today was like a whole new world to me. I really loved it. Then all this happened.’

‘Look, Briony, take a bit of advice. You can’t take on everything for everyone. No more than you can be everything to everyone. You need to keep a little bit of yourself for yourself. Does that make sense? You need to keep a little bit of all that love you’ve got back for yourself. For Briony Cavanagh.’

She nodded and sighed.

They stayed cuddled together in the firelight until the twins arrived home.

Liselle was quiet all the way back to her house. Boysie sat in the back of the car holding her to him, as if frightened she’d open the car door and run off. Daniel drove, his face hard and set. His granny had gone too far tonight. Her attitude when in drink had always left a lot to be desired, though they had laughed it off before. But this time she had really hurt someone.

Inside her house Boysie had made Liselle a strong cup of tea and they had sat with her, in their aunt’s ornate lounge, and silently kept her company. No one seemed to know just what to say to her.

Finally, Liselle began to cry again. Quietly this time. She was held by the twins, both with an arm around her, both telling her not to worry, they’d sort it all out for her. And as they eyed each other over the top of her head, they both knew that that’s exactly what they would do.

They’d find out who and what her father was. At least that way she’d know.

Upstairs Kerry slept the sleep of the drunk, unaware that her daughter’s world had been shattered beyond repair.

Evander looked at Skip Paquale who smiled at him. Evander smiled back, but the smile, or grimace, didn’t reach his bloodshot brown eyes.