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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

There was a flash of light in the distance, a growl of thunder miles away. Marnie shivered. She recalled her mother’s face, pinched with fear. ‘It’s nothing to worry about, Marnie. It can’t hurt you,’ she used to say, but the child heard the terror in her voice. Denise used to show her the locket when the thunder came. ‘Hold this,’ she’d say. ‘This will keep you safe.’

Marnie was worried about her animals. She ploughed through the wind across the orchard to the stable block and looked in through the feed-room window. In the dim glow of the nightlight she could see that Mister was asleep, with his back to the window. She could see the up-and-down of his barrel chest as he breathed peacefully, unbothered by the storm. She checked on Scrumpy and Seashell, unsettled but not panicked, and made sure the stable doors and windows were secure. As she headed back towards the cottage the rain began to fall, great sweeping sheets of it. There was a violent lightning flash and a clap of thunder so loud Marnie dropped her torch. She scrabbled for it, pushed herself up and headed back to the cottage. She was almost at the door when she heard a cry.

Lucy was at the threshold, jumping up and down in agitation. ‘Luna’s gone, Mum! The thunder scared her and she ran! I couldn’t stop her! She’s gone!’

49

It wasn’t the storm that woke Will but the sound of someone moving around in the room below his. After that, he became aware of the wind and the pattering of raindrops, the distant thunder. From that moment, sleep eluded him. Alice was everywhere. He heard her laughter in the soughing of the telephone lines, caught glimpses of her in the flickering shadows on the flowers in the pattern of the paper on the walls. And even more present was his own sense of guilt; his fear. Mr deVillars had put the possibility into his mind that he himself might have done something to Alice and he couldn’t refute that because he could not remember.

What if it was true?

What if he had done something?

He could face punishment, prison, whatever – that didn’t scare him. Worse was the prospect of having to live with himself if it turned out he had hurt the person he loved most in the world. If it was true, then his life might as well be over now.