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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

Will put his rucksack on the bed, switched on the bedside lamp, crossed to the little window in the eaves and looked out over the town. He could just make out, through the chimney-pots and rooftops, the flat expanse of the estuary in the distance and the bridge.

A tiny kettle had been provided, which he filled with water. A couple of teabags and some sachets of dried coffee lay in a dusty saucer next to an upturned mug. Will made himself a coffee, took out his laptop, placed it on the table beneath the window, sat on the chair, and rolled up his shirtsleeves.

He did a quick internet search. News about the holiday park discovery was already in the public domain. He skim-read an article and discovered something he hadn’t known: Channel View holiday park had been sold for development, not by Edward and Camille deVillars, but by Guy.

Guy. Bloody Guy.

Will had known him all his life. The two boys had been at Severn Sands Primary School together, although Guy was a couple of years older. He was one of those children who never got into trouble. Effortlessly clever, well-mannered and conscientious, he had been every teacher’s pet. This was irking for Will, who was noisy and clumsy, inclined to forget or lose homework, and constantly being scolded for one thing or another. Guy was sent away, aged eleven, to a boarding school in Sussex, St Aubin’s. Will moved up to the comprehensive with his peers and their lives followed different paths. St Aubin’s alumni graduated into an established old-boys’ network. Guy and his friends moved in a sphere of privilege: favours were reciprocated, money changed hands; influence was imposed; careers made; scandals suppressed. It was a different world and one that represented everything Will despised.

During his early teenage years, Will had been wary of the older boy but had little to do with him. Guy was away during term times and in the holidays he surrounded himself with friends he’d made at school and invited back to stay at Blackwater House. The deVillarses didn’t hold shooting parties or hunt balls but the house was large enough to accommodate the sons and daughters of the well off; it had its own lovely gardens, tennis courts and a pool. The girls who came were the sisters of Guy’s school friends: slender, willowy creatures who hid their faces beneath the rims of wide sunhats, wore flimsy clothes and laughed a great deal; girls who never seemed to eat and who stayed away from the holiday park. Will always had the feeling that they pitied the people who holidayed there, mocked them even, and this made him feel humiliated and his humiliation caused him to distrust Guy and his friends and avoid them as far as he could.