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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

‘He killed his own daughter? That respectable old man? Jesus! Why? To stop her telling the truth?’

Marnie shrugged.

‘It’s not like she’d have wanted anything from him. She didn’t care about money. All she ever wanted was to be part of a loving family.’

Even as he spoke, Will realised that he’d read Alice wrong from the beginning. He had misinterpreted her words and actions because he’d never tried to see the world from her perspective. He hadn’t understood. Of course she’d wanted to get to know Guy: he was her half-brother! When she’d said there was nothing ‘like that’ between them, she’d been telling the truth! And he’d been jealous of her interest in the deVillars family, jealous of her going to Camille’s birthday party. He’d been so blinded by his own insecurity that he’d got every single thing wrong.

Will stood up, paced the small room, turned back to Marnie and noticed, for the first time, how distraught she was.

‘Hey,’ he said, ‘it’s OK.’

He reached out his arms, put them tentatively round Marnie, not really touching her. She leaned forward so that her face was pressed against his chest.

‘Marnie, it’s OK,’ Will said again. He held her close. ‘It’s OK.’ He patted her back awkwardly. ‘Out of everyone you’re the one who shouldn’t be feeling bad. You gave Alice what she wanted. She came here looking for family, and she found you.’

Marnie put her arms round him. She held onto him. Everything was clear to Will now.

‘Alice knew that you loved her, Marnie,’ he said. ‘She knew.’

* * *

They sat side by side on the bed, leaning against one another, Will’s arm round Marnie’s shoulder.

‘Is it my fault that you don’t speak?’ he asked her.

She frowned.

‘That time in your bedroom, when I came, I told you not to say a word to anyone. I made you promise.’

She shook her head.

‘You mean, it wasn’t my fault?’

Marnie said: ‘No.’

* * *

Will wanted to tell the police everything, but Marnie didn’t see how they could do that without making Mrs deVillars’ situation even more precarious.

She was unlikely to be able to repeat what she’d told Marnie, and even if she did who would believe her given her confusion? Would anyone seriously believe Mr deVillars posed a serious threat to the wife he made such a point of adoring? Only the day before, the police had witnessed his tenderness to her when they laid the flowers for Alice.

‘We have to let the police know something’s going on,’ Will said, ‘so that if anything happens…’