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Back The Cliff House Save as PDF
Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. Booklist
  3. Title Page
  4. Praise
  5. Dedication
  6. Prologue
  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. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  24. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  25. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  62. Epilogue
  63. Acknowledgements
  64. About the Publisher

‘Tonight. On the footpath in the dip beyond the gate, where we can’t be seen from the house. Nine o’clock? I’ll say I’m going up to bed. Not that they’ll care. Eleanor will be passed out by then and Max will be shut away in his study.’

He nods.

He imagines taking her in his arms then and there. Pushing her top up. Pressing his mouth against her breasts. Lying her down and pushing himself into her. No. Don’t think like that. Too fast. Don’t scare her. His hand trembles as he lifts it to her cheek and a slow smile spreads over her face. She lays her hand on his thigh, high, near his crotch, and her skin warms him through the straining denim.

She drops her teasing hand and her eyes flash mischievously. He waits for her to step away, then revs the bike a couple of times, before kicking back the stand. He turns the bike and glances back over his shoulder for a final glimpse of her. As he does something catches his eye in the upstairs window.

A figure is watching them.

It’s Eleanor Davenport and her face is set cold as stone.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Edie

August 1986

‘You know, Edith, I’ve just about had enough of this.’

Eleanor was at the top of the stairs, smoking, her eyes needling Edie.

Edie’s breath caught in the back of her throat. ‘Enough of what?’

‘You.’ Eleanor’s eyes were wild and her lips thin as she drew on her gold-filtered cigarette in angry snatches. ‘Making a fool of yourself. Of all of us. With that boy.’

Edie opened her mouth but no words came out. Her brain raced. She had a flash of her hand on Jago’s trousers, her tongue tracing his lips. Eleanor must have seen them from the upstairs window; her face stung with heat.

‘Your father thought it would be good for you to get away from London. Ha!’ Eleanor shook her head with contempt. ‘And look? Next thing we know you’re keeping company with the great unwashed.’

‘Shut up,’ Edie whispered, her eyes prickling.

‘I don’t care how much your father loves it here, you and I are leaving Cornwall. I’m not staying here to wait for you to get pregnant by some unemployed halfwit no doubt up to his eyeballs on drugs. You’re behaving like a spoilt brat and you continue to be an utter embarrassment to us, Edith. You should be ashamed of yourself.’

Edie stared up at her mother, muscles quivering with bottled anger. There was so much she wanted to shout back. Her mother’s hypocrisy was staggering, but the vitriol in her eyes was like acid and sutured Edie’s mouth closed. As she stood there she felt as if she were melting. How had they come to this point? When did her mother stop loving her?