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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

They were almost at the end of the drive when they heard Edward deVillars calling. Will looked back to see the old man standing framed by the open door, illuminated by the hall light, tall and thin with his head jutting above a tortoise-skin neck and his kindly face, the hook nose and fluffy white hair. He was wearing his trademark baggy corduroy trousers, an old jacket with patches at the elbow. He had less of the film star about him that night, more the air of a retired schoolteacher.

‘I say, John!’ called Mr deVillars. ‘What’s going on? Come back and have a whisky with me!’

John looked towards his old friend and hesitated, torn between his desire to do right by Marnie, and affection and respect for his oldest friend.

‘Come on, old chap,’ called Mr deVillars. ‘You’ve time for a catch-up, haven’t you?’

‘Marnie wants us to leave,’ Will reminded John.

John came to a decision. He raised a hand. ‘Thank you, Mr deVillars, but not tonight,’ he replied. ‘Right now, I need to take care of my family.’

66

Marnie’s car headlights – one of them held in place only by duct tape so its beam was skewed – illuminated her father and Will standing at the end of the drive to the Big House. She pulled up beside them. Will climbed into the passenger seat with Luna while John fetched TT from the caretaker’s cottage. Marnie conducted a hasty three-point turn, then drove home.

Lucy and Maya were thrilled to see Luna safe. While they questioned Will about her rescue, Marnie texted Gabriel.

I’m sorry, but I can’t collect Mister. Can he stay with you tonight?

The reply came at once:

No problem. We’re making friends.

* * *

John opened a beer and filled in the girls about Luna’s adventures, and Will and Marnie went upstairs to find some dry clothes for Will.

While he changed, Marnie wrote a brief explanation of what had happened in Camille’s room on her phone.

She showed it to Will who stared at the screen for a long time, reading and rereading what Marnie had written. Then he laid the phone down and sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. After a while he looked up into Marnie’s eyes.

‘I thought it was Guy,’ he said. ‘All this time I believed Guy was responsible for Alice disappearing and then, for a while I thought…’ He trailed off. Marnie waited.

‘Are you sure,’ Will asked, ‘that what Mrs deVillars told you is right and not just her blaming her husband to protect her son?’

Marnie nodded.

I’m sure.

Still Will couldn’t quite accept it.

‘Why didn’t she say anything to anyone before?’

She didn’t know that Alice was dead.

‘Do you think it’s true? Do you believe that Mr deV was responsible for Alice’s death?’

Yes.