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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

I dressed quickly and went down the stairs being careful not to make a sound. In the kitchen I reached for the tin on top of the fridge and searched for the key to The Cliff House. It wasn’t there. I opened the fridge so I could check the tin in its light, but there was no sign of the key. I swore under my breath as my body thrummed with anxious energy. Mum’s bag was hanging on the hook in the hall. I kept my eyes bolted to the sitting room door as I rummaged quietly inside it. My fingers found the small plastic fob with the key attached at the bottom of the bag and, as I grasped it, my body flooded with relief.

The night hung with a thick mist which gave the surroundings I knew so well an eerie sense of unease. Noise was muffled, except my footsteps, which rang on the road as I walked down to the Cape. The moon was full, but diffused, restricting my vision to no more than ten feet of murky dimness. When I turned onto the cliff path I was unable to see the sea to my right, but could hear it. The mist travelled fast, blown by the wind, billowing around me like smoke from a bonfire.

My nerves tumbled as I walked. I was excited and terrified at the thought of facing Edie. I had to keep reminding myself that she wanted to see me. To say sorry. That she’d come when I was poorly and been turned away. Eleanor and Max would be asleep. I’d wait until I was certain. I couldn’t risk running into either of them until I’d seen Edie and made sure everything was back to normal. The thought of that kiss still made me cringe. I would have to laugh it off when I saw her, blame the fever and hallucinations, tell her I could hardly remember doing it. Apologise profusely. Beg her to forget all about it.

The mist thinned as I neared the house. Its white shape loomed in the dim light. Pulled me closer. With each step my anxiety seemed to lessen. I opened the gate, making sure not to creak the hinges, and as I stepped onto the lawn my eyes welled with tears.

It was as if I’d arrived home.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Jago

August 1986

Silence while they walk. The mist comes in with the dusk. Wraps around them like a blanket.

Edie walks beside him. She takes his hand as they climb away from the path up on to the part of the cliff where his father used to birdwatch. Her skin is soft with expensive creams and privilege. Jago is tight with desire. There have been girls before. But not like her.

‘I thought you didn’t want to be seen.’