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

‘Milly?’ said Belle loudly and got nothing back.

She turned to Jack. ‘Someone is going to have to stay with her.’

Jack turned to his twitchy blond-haired pal. ‘Stevie?’

‘Yeah, sure.’ Stevie gave a grin and cracked his knuckles.

Belle looked at Jack, worried at the relish with which Stevie had just spoken.

‘Stevie had his troubles with stuff like this,’ explained Jack.

‘Spent two years after yomping across Goose Green stoned out of my brains,’ said Stevie. ‘Can’t say I’m proud of it.’

‘He’ll know what to do. She’ll be in good hands,’ said Jack.

Belle stood up. She stared down at Milly, then cast a glance at Stevie. ‘You’ll look after her?’

‘I will.’

Belle looked again at Milly, at the mess she was in, the chaos surrounding her. The journals. She leaned down. Milly was starting to snore heavily. Belle picked up one. Date: 1983. Flipped open the page. January. Nula’s handwriting was neat as a schoolgirl’s, slanted backwards.

Christ I hate all this. Having him here. I think I’m actually in danger but Charlie won’t have it, he never believes a word I say . . .

Belle read that line, then flicked the pages on. Another one: He’s always down in that feed room by the zoo, he loves it in there, he’s weird and I keep telling Charlie but he won’t listen . . .

There was information in here, maybe useful stuff about Nula and Charlie and Harlan. Nula had poured her heart into these notebooks, uncensored. Charlie had probably never seen them and Harlan certainly hadn’t – he would have burned them. One by one, she gathered up the rest of the diaries and added them to the ones in the bag by the bed. Nula had always puzzled Belle. A woman married to an immensely wealthy man, supposedly with everything in the world that she could want – and yet Nula had always seemed a tormented soul.

I think I’m in danger . . .

Nula had been talking about Harlan. Now Belle thought of the helicopter crash. The cartels? Or Harlan? Or both of them, working together to get Charlie out of the way?

Belle zipped the bag shut and picked it up.

‘Right,’ she said with a brisk smile. ‘Time for some fireworks.’

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