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Back The Scarlet Dress Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Dedication
  2. Prologue
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. Friday
  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. Saturday
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. Sunday
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. One Week Later
  77. 71
  78. Afterwards
  79. 72
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. Reading Group Questions
  82. More from Louise Douglas
  83. About the Author
  84. About Boldwood Books

Will had never truly believed that Alice had drowned herself, not even after Mrs deVillars found Alice’s scarlet dress at the side of the estuary. Alice wouldn’t have done that. It was easier for him to believe she’d left with the travellers. He could acknowledge that Alice had more than her fair share of personal demons but Will knew that at heart she was an optimist. She believed she had a good future ahead of her; she loved life more than anybody he’d ever known. With every atom of her being, Alice Lang had wanted to live and that was what made her murder even more cruel.

It was what made it crucial that the person responsible was brought to justice.

5

The cottage where Marnie Morahan lived with her daughter, Lucy, and an assortment of animals was on Holm Chapel Lane, on the outskirts of Severn Sands town. It was a narrow lane, hedgerows on either side, the dark, uneaten winter berries on the blackthorn wizened and gnarled. That afternoon, a tractor was slowly moving in the gloaming, flattening the tops of the hedges with a mechanical arm to make them tidy before the birds began nesting. In the field to one side, a herd of bullocks grazed: to the other, sheep were fattening with the spring’s crop of lambs.

Marnie went into the cottage, turning on the lights, putting a log into the stove. She shut Tessy in the kitchen while she attended to Mister, who was being housed in the feed room of the stable block to the back of the cottage. Before Mister was rescued he’d only ever lived in cages. He found the domestic environment overwhelmingly complicated and frightening and preferred the plainness and predictability of the feed room with its bare walls and barred window. Marnie was happy to let him rest where he felt most comfortable. She had put a heater in the room, and covered the concrete floor with carpeting and blankets. She was settling him when the phone rang in her back pocket. It was Jenna.

‘Hi, Marnie, you OK, love?’

Marnie pushed the feed-room door closed with her hip, and bolted it from the outside. She texted a thumbs up and walked back towards the cottage. Tessy was standing with her front paws on the window of the back door, muddy streaks down the glass. When she saw Marnie, she scrabbled at the window, bouncing on her back legs, her whole body wagging with joy.

‘I heard what they found down the holiday park,’ Jenna said. ‘I wanted to make sure you were all right. It must’ve been an awful shock for you. You knew the girl, didn’t you?’

Marnie was reunited with Tessy. She kneeled down so that the dog could lick her face. Her body circling Marnie’s was the best comfort. Jenna was still speaking.