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Back The Hiding Place
Chapters (46)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. EPILOGUE
  42. Acknowledgements
  43. Read More
  44. Praise
  45. About the Author
  46. Also by Jenny Quintana

Connie read and reread this part over and over, feeling the needle of jealousy. Who was this woman? It was only at the end of the letter that he told Connie he missed her. He made no mention of coming home or of her coming to see him. A shadow passed overhead. A bird, wings outstretched, gliding through the air. It disappeared and left no trace.

Slowly, Connie walked downstairs. On the first floor, she paused outside Dorothy’s door. Should she share Johnny’s address with his mother? No. She would keep this to herself, for now; she couldn’t risk Dorothy interfering. Not yet. If all went according to plan, there would be plenty of time to let her know their whereabouts. She gave a smile at the thought. Their whereabouts. Her and Johnny and their beautiful baby.

Eva appeared, clutching the rag doll. Connie let the little girl smooth the shawl with her fingers and then gave her the silver paper and told her how to cut out stars and hang them from the ceiling.

Even the presence of Kenneth and Victor in the front room didn’t dampen Connie’s mood. In her bedroom, she hid the shawl beneath the floorboard.

She had power because she had knowledge and money and could make choices and decisions. No one would stop her now.

23

Marina

January 1992

Marina wakes the next morning thinking about Eva.

She decides to distract herself by spending the next few days decorating. She paints the rest of the living room blue and it is soothing, like waves lapping on a shore. She trawls around shops and markets and buys blue cushions with gold piping and a pair of green second-hand curtains. The place starts to feel like home – even the bathroom once she’s painted it coral and bought a new bath mat to cover the stains. She imagines she has created the sea. She is Marina, floating beneath the surface. She is suspended in time.

She finishes Agata’s manuscript and visits her in Tooting Bec to talk through the next step. Marina makes calls on her behalf and eventually finds a small independent publisher who agrees to buy the book. It’s not a huge sum and there are no promises of far-reaching readership, but it means Agata’s story will be heard. They celebrate with sweet pastries and cakes.