BooksBarbecue
Back The Manor
Chapters (183)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  5. Epigraph
  6. 1980s
  7. PROLOGUE
  8. 1950s
  9. 1
  10. 2
  11. 1960s
  12. 3
  13. 4
  14. 5
  15. 6
  16. 7
  17. 8
  18. 9
  19. 10
  20. 11
  21. 12
  22. 13
  23. 14
  24. 15
  25. 16
  26. 17
  27. 18
  28. 19
  29. 20
  30. 21
  31. 22
  32. 23
  33. 24
  34. 25
  35. 26
  36. 27
  37. 28
  38. 29
  39. 30
  40. 31
  41. 32
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 1970s
  50. 40
  51. 41
  52. 42
  53. 43
  54. 44
  55. 45
  56. 46
  57. 47
  58. 48
  59. 49
  60. 50
  61. 51
  62. 52
  63. 53
  64. 54
  65. 55
  66. 56
  67. 57
  68. 58
  69. 59
  70. 60
  71. 61
  72. 62
  73. 1980s
  74. 63
  75. 64
  76. 65
  77. 66
  78. 67
  79. 68
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80
  92. 81
  93. 82
  94. 83
  95. 84
  96. 85
  97. 86
  98. 87
  99. 88
  100. 89
  101. 90
  102. 91
  103. 92
  104. 93
  105. 94
  106. 95
  107. 96
  108. 97
  109. 98
  110. 99
  111. 100
  112. 101
  113. 102
  114. 103
  115. 104
  116. 105
  117. 106
  118. 107
  119. 108
  120. 109
  121. 110
  122. 111
  123. 112
  124. 113
  125. 114
  126. 115
  127. 116
  128. 117
  129. 118
  130. 119
  131. 120
  132. 121
  133. 122
  134. 123
  135. 124
  136. 125
  137. 126
  138. 127
  139. 128
  140. 129
  141. 130
  142. 131
  143. 132
  144. 133
  145. 134
  146. 135
  147. 136
  148. 137
  149. 138
  150. 139
  151. 140
  152. 141
  153. 142
  154. 143
  155. 144
  156. 145
  157. 146
  158. 147
  159. 148
  160. 149
  161. 150
  162. 151
  163. 152
  164. 153
  165. 154
  166. 155
  167. 156
  168. 157
  169. 158
  170. 159
  171. 160
  172. 161
  173. 162
  174. EPILOGUE
  175. NAMELESS
  176. LAWLESS
  177. RUTHLESS
  178. STAY DEAD
  179. DANGEROUS
  180. FEARLESS
  181. THE EDGE
  182. THE KNOCK
  183. By Jessie Keane

They were coming in, getting closer and closer. She could see the big H on the helipad now, see the sun sending up bright dazzling shimmers from the lake, throwing up a blinding shield of light. Then the aircraft canted to one side, throwing her against the harness again. It hurt.

Then again.

Nula screamed.

She heard Charlie say: ‘What the fucking hell?’ as he wrestled with the controls.

The thing was spinning now. Over and over, side to side, end over end. Her screams and Charlie’s shouts merged and blended with the roar of the faltering engine.

We’re going to hit the lake, we’re going to hit the lake, thought Nula.

Oh Christ, please help us . . .

There was an ear-shattering bang, flames in the cabin followed by terrible pain – and then the whole thing began to plummet.

92

After Milly got back from her meeting with Nipper, she was plunged straight into talks with the events organizer over the food, the entertainment, everything. The place looked fabulous, there were TWENTY YEARS MARRIED banners strung up at the front of the house, CHARLIE AND NULA strung out across the back.

Hurrying upstairs, her stomach knotted with tension, she heard the roar of the helicopter’s approach and then a stutter in the engine note – or had she imagined it? She went into the master bedroom and then over to the window. She could see the Jet Ranger, coming closer. As it passed over the orchard, it swooped to one side and started to spin. Feeling her guts clench, her eyes followed the craft as the spinning accelerated. Now it was whirling in dizzying circles, faster and faster, the nose dipping down, the whole thing shaking. The Jet Ranger was away from the orchard now, over the ornamental lake. Spinning like a top, out of control, and then . . .

Oh Christ!

Milly shrieked. There was a bang so loud that it shook the window frames and sent her staggering back a pace. Then the helicopter erupted into a ball of orange flame. It seemed to hang in the sky for a moment – and then Charlie Stone’s pride and joy fell into the lake and hit the water, hard.

93

Afterwards, Milly had no recollection of leaving the bedroom or running down the stairs. Suddenly she was in the hall and her legs felt like jelly, her head like an overblown balloon about to burst. She was stumbling and shaking when she got down there, and Harlan was just coming in the front door and saying: ‘What the hell was that? Did you hear that? What the fuck?’