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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

But there was another way in. Marnie tried the next door along and that opened into a small bedroom. Zoe’s coat was hooked on the door, her possessions tidily organised inside. The connecting door to Camille’s room was closed. A towel had been lain along the bottom of it, cutting off any draught. It took Marnie a moment to notice masking tape was sealing off the other cracks.

She crossed to the door; pulled away the towel, went down on her hands and knees and sniffed. She smelled a faint, chemical odour: exhaust fumes.

Marnie peeled away the tape, letting it drop onto the floor behind her. She turned the handle, half-expecting it to be locked, but it wasn’t and the door swung open towards her. She was assaulted by a gust of overwarm air that smelled of motorway, that stung her eyes and caught in her throat. She pulled her jumper up over her nose and mouth and went into the bedroom. The glow of the nightlight was dim, but she could see the heads of the two women, Camille and Zoe, beside one another on their respective pillows on the bed. She could not tell if they were still breathing. She went forward to rouse them, and suddenly felt herself pushed from behind. As she fell onto her hands and knees, something heavy hit the back of her head. For an instant there was pain, then there was only darkness.

68

First she felt the thudding ache, creeping around her skull, tightening like a vice. Then she became aware of the carpet beneath her cheek; the gritty air in her lungs. She could see blurred shapes in the darkness. Her eyes were sore. She lifted her head a fraction. She remembered where she was.

Marnie summoned her willpower, turned and crawled towards the crack of light beneath the door, reached for the handle, turned it; no use. The connecting door through which she’d entered had been locked. Marnie was trapped inside Mrs deVillars’ bedroom with the old woman and her nurse.

Through narrowed eyes Marnie scanned the room for something heavy enough to batter open one of the doors. But they were substantial and anything with which Camille deVillars might conceivably hurt herself had already been removed.

Marnie dropped down low again, where the air was cooler and cleaner. She knew it wouldn’t be long before she lost consciousness but she didn’t know how long she had. A few minutes maybe. She crawled to the side of the bed and tried to switch on the bedside lamp, but it didn’t work. Somewhere in the house, Edward deVillars had disconnected the power supply to the bedroom.

Marnie felt the first stirrings of panic. She pulled herself up to the side of the bed, took hold of Zoe’s shoulders and shook the woman.

Wake up, please!