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Back The Missing Wife
Chapters (64)
  1. THE MISSING WIFE
  2. PRAISE FOR SAM CARRINGTON
  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. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. THE EPILOGUE
  58. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  59. Prologue
  60. Chapter One
  61. Chapter Two
  62. About the Author
  63. By the same author
  64. About the Publisher

‘He’s probably driving Noah around to stop him crying, Lou – you know he likes the movement.’ Tiff’s calm tone began to ease Louisa’s anxiety.

‘That’s true, but why didn’t he tell me he was leaving? He literally left without even saying anything. Surely he’d know that would panic me?’

‘No doubt as soon as Noah stops crying, he’ll call you. Try not to worry. What exactly went on? You sound really upset.’

Louisa reluctantly explained. Saying it out loud – telling Tiff about the lack of ticks – made her feel stupid.

‘You’re exhausted – we all know that. One night away, getting a single night of good sleep was nowhere near enough. Maybe you need some help, Lou? You know, like an au pair or something. That way, they can take care of Noah so you can catch up on sleep.’

Louisa immediately opened her mouth to dismiss that idea out of hand. But she couldn’t. As much as she hated even the thought of someone else taking over the care of her baby, a niggling feeling deep in her gut was telling her there might well be a need for just that. For Noah’s sake.

‘I’ll think about it.’

‘Good. I really think it would help, Lou.’

The front door opened. ‘He’s here. Thanks, Tiff, gotta go.’ And she hung up.

‘Where the hell have you been and why did you do that?’ She launched herself towards Brian, hot tears tracking down her face.

‘Calm down, Louisa,’ Brian said. ‘I took him for a ride and I went and got this.’ He handed Louisa a Mothercare carrier bag. There were two tins of formula milk inside. ‘I checked with the woman which was the best. She said they were all similar. I remembered seeing SMA on the telly the other night though, so plumped for that.’ He placed the car seat, with a sleeping Noah inside it, on the sofa in the lounge and then headed into the kitchen. ‘Come on,’ he called to Louisa, ‘let’s make up some bottles now. And when we’re done, you’re going to call the health visitor to make an appointment for her to come and visit.’

He didn’t trust her to look after Noah properly – to feed him. Didn’t believe she was nourishing their baby – that’s why he’d got the formula. He thought she was forgetting to feed him, or was forgetting when she had fed him. She wanted to be mad at him, angry that he didn’t trust her. But she couldn’t be, not when she wasn’t sure enough herself.