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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

The night was clear and cold. The wind had dropped. There’d be a frost later. The ground would be hard and the puddles would freeze, making the tracks Marnie walked slippery as glass. Distantly, the traffic sang as it crossed the Severn Bridge, a string of moving lights, and Marnie’s mind drifted back to the afternoon before Alice disappeared and how they’d encountered one another outside the service area in the holiday park. Alice had been leaning against the small brick wall. Behind her trailing pelargoniums, alyssum and petunias tumbled from planters, the colours of the flowers painfully bright. Alice was wearing her yellow dress. She had kicked off her flip-flops and had bent one knee so that the sole of her foot pressed against the wall behind her. She was smoking a roll-up and talking to Guy deVillars who was standing beside her. Her eyes had brightened when she saw Marnie, then darkened with concern.

‘Are you OK, poppet?’ she’d asked. ‘You’re ever so pale.’

Marnie nodded although she didn’t feel OK, she felt unbalanced and sick.

‘Look,’ said Guy, ‘I’ll, er…’ he pointed back towards the Big House.

‘Sure,’ said Alice. ‘See you later.’

Guy had left. Alice reached out her arm and touched the soft inside of her wrist against the side of Marnie’s neck. ‘Oh, sweetheart, you are hot. You need to get out of the sun.’

That was what Mrs deVillars had told Marnie a little earlier. She’d found an old straw hat for Marnie to wear. The rim kept the sun out of Marnie’s eyes but other than that, it wasn’t helping, only making Marnie’s head even hotter.

‘You need to sit down,’ said Alice. ‘Why don’t you go into the laundry room and wait for my drier to finish and then bring my stuff back to the caravan? You can read the magazines. That way you’ll be out of the sun and doing me a favour. What do you think?’

Marnie had always found Alice lovely, but that day, in that bright light, she had seemed more magical than ever.

‘OK,’ Marnie had answered. ‘I’ll wait for your clothes.’

Alice had taken hold of Marnie’s hands and leaned forward to kiss her, smelling of cigarettes and perfume and sun lotion.

‘You’re a darling, Marnie,’ Alice said. ‘You’re a little angel. And tomorrow I’m going to tell you a secret! A really good one! The best secret you’ve ever heard.’

Alice was fond of sharing secrets. It was something Marnie also enjoyed.

‘Tell me now,’ Marnie begged.

‘I can’t,’ said Alice. ‘Tomorrow! I promise!’

If Marnie hadn’t been feeling so sick, she almost certainly would have made more of it but that afternoon she simply didn’t have the energy.

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