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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

‘Good.’ Will held up a bottle of cider. ‘Fancy going down to the estuary and sharing this with me for old times’ sake?’

She smiled.

* * *

They went together, the two of them, and they sat by the shore and watched the waves coming in. The water was almost black in colour. Still it was beautiful.

‘I’m leaving today,’ Will said. ‘Getting the last train out of here. Going back to London.’ He took a drink of cider. ‘You’re welcome to visit any time. You and Lucy and the dogs. You can even bring your father, if you must.’

He passed the bottle to her and she took a drink.

They gazed out across the sea.

‘That night,’ Will said, ‘when I went to the service station and the car wouldn’t start…’

‘It wasn’t your fault.’

‘I ran all the way back. I wouldn’t have left you.’

‘I know.’

She passed the bottle back to him.

‘Will you be all right?’ Will asked.

‘Yes. You?’

‘I’ll be OK,’ he said. He sniffed. ‘Only I think I’m coming down with something. My partner, Saoirse, she’s had a bad cold. I must have caught it off her.’

‘Is she nice?’

‘Saoirse? Yes. Very nice. Only, you’ll find this hard to believe, but I’ve behaved like a bit of a dick towards her. Ignored her messages, didn’t consider her feelings, that kind of thing.’

Marnie picked up a pebble, turned it between her fingers.

‘I texted her to apologise,’ said Will.

‘Did she reply?’

‘Yes.’

‘What did she say?’

‘She told me to fuck off.’

Marnie smiled and threw the pebble into the sea.

71

Afterwards

Will went back to London and he started writing his book about Alice.

He immersed himself in his writing. He lost himself in memories, found details he’d forgotten, revelled in Alice and his memories of her. He worked every day, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and after that he switched off his laptop and he called Saoirse. Sometimes she agreed to go out with him for a walk, or a run, or a drink. If she wanted to visit an exhibition, or go to the cinema to watch a film, or if she’d heard about a new arty-farty vegan restaurant and wanted to see what the food was like, even if she’d agreed to meet up with some of her friends, Will went with her without moaning or pulling faces or getting drunk. He put his flat up for sale. He hoped, one day, that he and Saoirse could buy a place together.

First, he needed to finish the Alice book and second, make it up to Saoirse. Or vice versa.

He stayed in close touch with Marnie, who had the biggest heart of anyone he’d ever known. He knew he didn’t deserve it, but she seemed to have found it in herself to forgive him.

* * *