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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

‘Don’t eat anything now. You’ll ruin your tea.’ She sounds weary today. ‘I’m about to put it on the table. Fish. From Gareth.’

‘Prick,’ Jago whispers under his breath as he shuts the fridge door.

‘All good today? You got on okay at the Davenports?’

He nods. ‘Though I don’t like the way Tam is with them. She’s not herself with them, acts weird.’

‘Hush,’ his mother says. ‘It’s good she’s found a friend. Don’t piss on her chips, love.’

He thinks of his dad. Of how he’d have frowned.

Don’t say piss on her chips, Ange. Not in front of the kids.

And his mother would have laughed and rolled her eyes behind his back, and he and his sister would have glowed inside because she’d said piss.

‘I’m going out.’

‘But tea—’

‘I’m not hungry. Granfer can have mine. He loves haddock.’

‘Where are you going?’ He avoids looking at her, but not before he catches her lips pressed tight with disappointment, shadows settled in her eyes.

‘Just out.’

‘I thought we could eat together.’

He turns his back on the sadness in her voice.

Before he leaves he reaches into his jacket pocket. Pulls out some folded notes. Leaves them on the kitchen table. ‘Rick paid me yesterday,’ he says. ‘Sorry it’s not much.’

His mum smiles at him. Takes the money. Plants a kiss on his cheek. ‘Thanks, love. You’re a good boy. I know it’s been tough these last few months. Your dad would be proud of you.’

He walks out without replying.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Tamsyn

July 1986

Mum had tried to persuade me not to go to The Cliff House on a Sunday but I’d told her it was fine.

‘They don’t mind. Eleanor said I was welcome whenever.’

‘Yes, love, but Sunday? Sunday isn’t for disturbing people. Use the telephone first, at least.’

So as soon as the clock hit eleven – Mum said I was absolutely not to call any house on a Sunday before eleven – I borrowed ten pence from her purse and ran up to the box.

Edie answered.

‘Hi,’ I said breathlessly. ‘It’s me. Tamsyn.’

‘Oh, hey.’ She sounded as if she’d only just woken up and I was pleased I hadn’t called earlier. ‘You okay?’

‘I’m fine.’ I hesitated, suddenly feeling unsure about inviting myself over. ‘Are you busy today? I was wondering…’ My voice trailed away.

‘You’d like to come over?’

I grinned. ‘Yes,’ I said quickly. ‘Is that okay?’

‘Of course.’

‘Should you check with your parents?’

And Edie laughed.

Eleanor was sitting at the table on the terrace when I walked up the lawn. I waved and she lifted her sunglasses off and squinted at me, then smiled.