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Back The Cottage at Rosella Cove Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Book
  3. Dedication
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Sixteen
  20. Seventeen
  21. Eighteen
  22. Nineteen
  23. Twenty
  24. Twenty-one
  25. Twenty-two
  26. Twenty-three
  27. Twenty-four
  28. Twenty-five
  29. Twenty-six
  30. Twenty-seven
  31. Twenty-eight
  32. Twenty-nine
  33. Thirty
  34. Thirty-one
  35. Thirty-two
  36. Thirty-three
  37. Thirty-four
  38. Thirty-five
  39. Thirty-six
  40. Thirty-seven
  41. Thirty-eight
  42. Thirty-nine
  43. Acknowledgements
  44. About the Author
  45. Also by Sandie Docker
  46. Book Club Questions
  47. Welcome to the Kookaburra Creek Café
  48. Prologue
  49. One
  50. Sign up to Read More and discover new favourites

I spoke with the lawyers on Friday and it is arranged. They couriered the paperwork to me and I sent it straight back signed. The courier was a nice young man. I served him some tea. I must buy some more. It is very expensive these days, but one cannot live without.

I am thoroughly exhausted tonight. But I shall sleep with an easy mind and light heart knowing this is now taken care of.

The courier’s name was Tom. Can you believe it?

Forever yours,

Ivy

PS The Royal has a new owner. A funny little Italian man. I am enjoying his pasta on a Friday night. It is not as good as Fabricio’s mother’s, but it is delicious. I should give Charlie my pasta maker. Or perhaps donate it to the church. I am sure someone will make better use of it than I.

Nicole paced the living room. There was no long-lost cousin from Sydney. It was Charlie all along. Charlie and Ivy’s story was now complete.

She replaced the letter and touched the next one in the box. It was terribly thin. She pulled it out. The usually beautiful script was shaky and Nicole’s heart started to race.

29th January, 1976

My Dearest Tom,

I write this with desperate haste.

I have called for Doctor Johnson, my love. He will be here soon. I could not leave without saying goodbye and I must return your letters to their hiding place before he arrives.

My time is here, it seems. I do not wish to go. What if I cannot find you? I want to stay here with my picnics, with Charlie. He needs me.

I am coming to you, my dearest. Will you be waiting?

It is time.

Ivy

Nicole’s hands shook slightly. She looked in the box for the next letter. There had to be another. 11th January, 1941 – the first one. She frantically filed through the envelopes, hoping she’d missed one; put one out of order. There had to be more.

But there wasn’t.

An image of Ivy lying on the hearth having returned the box to its hiding place in the fireplace just in time, close to her beloved Thomas, came to Nicole’s mind and she let the tears flow unhindered.

Thirty-four

Charlie was waiting for her on the bench seat when Nicole arrived at the boatshed the next morning.

She hesitated then sat beside him. He didn’t bark at her to get up.

The day was already warm, but Charlie sat beneath his rug.

‘What’s that?’ He looked at the carved wooden box in Nicole’s hands.

‘Actually, it’s for you.’

‘What do I want with a box?’ he asked. He looked at it more closely. ‘This looks like one I gave away many years ago, if I’m not mistaken.’ His eyes widened. ‘I made this for Ivy after she helped me …. What are you doing with it?’