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Back The Missing Wife Save as PDF
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

‘Could he have had his first night sleeping right through?’ Brian said as his hand hovered above the handle. He was vocalising his hope. Their hope. Louisa watched helplessly as he leant his ear up to the door. Christ. He was afraid to go in. He was thinking the worst too, she could tell. His face was milky-white, his chest heaving with rapid breaths. Louisa wanted to scream, wanted to rush past him and get into the nursery. Lift Noah into her arms, hold him next to her, feel his warmth and his tiny puffs of breath against her cheek. She couldn’t, though. Her feet were planted, her body paralysed.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

She closed her eyes as she saw Brian pull down the handle. She heard the gentle whooshing of the door trailing along the plush nursery carpet as it opened. She held her breath, so she could hear the slightest noise coming from the room.

Please be okay.

Why wasn’t Brian saying anything?

Louisa opened her eyes. Tears plummeted downwards, covering her cheeks, her chin, rolling underneath and down her neck. Sobs escaped her open mouth.

‘He’s not here.’

23

THE BABY-SITTER

‘Emily,’ Louisa said. Blood began to circulate to her legs again, enabling her to move. ‘Emily must have him.’ She flung Emily’s bedroom door wide open, hitting it against the chest of drawers. Her room was empty too.

Brian was already halfway down the stairs.

‘She’s not here!’ His shout seemed to hit the walls and reverberate around the house.

‘Is the pram there?’ Louisa steadied herself as she descended the stairs.

‘Er … hang on. No. No, it’s not.’

‘Well, she’s taken him for a walk then.’ She took some deep breaths. It was fine. Nothing to worry about. Emily had obviously been woken by Noah’s cries and taken him in his pram as she knew movement often comforted him.

‘At six in the morning?’ Brian moved past her. ‘I’ll get dressed and go and find them,’ he said as he ran back up the stairs.

Was that the time? With her dreams still clouding her mind, Louisa had assumed it was earlier. Still, six was way earlier than Emily usually got out of bed. For her to have gone out for a walk was out of character. Louisa recalled how Emily had taken it upon herself to remove Noah from his Moses basket the other day without telling her. How she’d felt as though Emily had purposely done it to frighten her.

Brian, now fully clothed, rushed down the stairs and out of the front door, leaving Louisa standing in the hall. She should get dressed too, in case Brian couldn’t find them.

Of course he’ll find them, she whispered to herself over and over again as she climbed the stairs to throw on some clothes.