Back The New House Save as PDF
Chapters (81)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for Tess Stimson
  3. Dedication
  4. part one
  5. chapter 01
  6. chapter 02
  7. chapter 03
  8. chapter 04
  9. chapter 05
  10. chapter 06
  11. chapter 07
  12. chapter 08
  13. chapter 09
  14. chapter 10
  15. chapter 11
  16. chapter 12
  17. chapter 13
  18. chapter 14
  19. chapter 15
  20. chapter 16
  21. chapter 17
  22. chapter 18
  23. chapter 19
  24. chapter 20
  25. chapter 21
  26. chapter 22
  27. chapter 23
  28. chapter 24
  29. chapter 25
  30. chapter 26
  31. chapter 27
  32. chapter 28
  33. chapter 29
  34. chapter 30
  35. chapter 31
  36. chapter 32
  37. chapter 33
  38. chapter 34
  39. chapter 35
  40. chapter 36
  41. part two
  42. chapter 37
  43. chapter 38
  44. chapter 39
  45. chapter 40
  46. chapter 41
  47. chapter 42
  48. chapter 43
  49. chapter 44
  50. chapter 45
  51. chapter 46
  52. chapter 47
  53. chapter 48
  54. chapter 49
  55. part three
  56. chapter 50
  57. chapter 51
  58. chapter 52
  59. chapter 53
  60. chapter 54
  61. chapter 55
  62. chapter 56
  63. chapter 57
  64. chapter 58
  65. chapter 59
  66. chapter 60
  67. chapter 61
  68. chapter 62
  69. chapter 63
  70. chapter 64
  71. chapter 65
  72. chapter 66
  73. chapter 67
  74. chapter 68
  75. part four
  76. chapter 69
  77. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  78. Keep Reading …
  79. About the Author
  80. By the same author:
  81. About the Publisher

She scoops her yoga mat from the back seat. ‘They died twenty-three years ago,’ she says. ‘Killed in a car crash on their way home from a New Year’s Eve Millennium party. They’d both been drinking, of course. I was in the car, but somehow I walked away with barely a scratch.’

‘How old were you?’

‘Fifteen.’

‘How awful. That must’ve hit you hard.’

‘It hit my brother harder. Adam always felt guilty for not being with us, as if he could have done something. He was six years older than me, so after their deaths he became my legal guardian.’

‘You must be close.’

‘He overdosed on heroin when I was nineteen.’

Her tone is matter-of-fact, without a trace of self-pity. But in this context, Felix makes more sense. You don’t have to be an armchair psychologist to recognise that a child orphaned young will seek out a father figure, especially when she loses her substitute parent just a few years after the initial bereavement.

I know what it’s like to lose a sibling.

Gracie, my sweet Gracie—

No. I refuse to go there.

I’m already aware of Stacey’s personal history, of course. She’s talked about it just enough in the press to have a relatably tragic backstory without seeming to exploit it. But I know it’s important for our new friendship that she tells me herself.

And that friendship suddenly matters to me.

I care about Stacey. This isn’t about the Glass House any more. It hasn’t been since the moment I saw the bruises on her wrist.

This is the second time she’s invited me to join her for yoga at the Hurlingham. The classes here are less physically demanding and more woo-woo ‘spiritual’ than my normal vinyasa power yoga practice, with rather too much third-eye navel-gazing for my taste, but I’m not here to strengthen my core.

‘Nice leggings,’ I comment with a smile as I follow her into the studio.

‘Hope you don’t mind,’ she says, slightly embarrassed. ‘I’m a bit tired of being a Lululemon clone.’

The first time we met up for yoga a couple of weeks ago, she admired my athletic wear. I sent her a link to the niche US site in California where I bought them. She must have gone straight home and ordered a pair: I’m flattered more than I care to admit.

After our class, we change and stroll over to the clubhouse brasserie for lunch. The average age of the other diners on a mid-week morning is approximately seventy-three; pearls, blazers and brick-red jeans are the order of the day.

‘Are your parents still alive?’ Stacey says, as we sit down.