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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

Mrs Lang was asked if she had a message for Alice, and the woman raised her head and looked straight into the camera.

‘Alice,’ she said, ‘whatever trouble you’re in, we can sort it out together. You’re not on your own.’ She had hesitated, composed herself, then spoken again. ‘We miss you. We want you safely back. Wherever you are, remember that God is with you. He’ll forgive you, as will we, whatever it is that you’ve done.’

20

Friday

Marnie was up before dawn the next morning, lighting the range to heat the boiler to warm the house. The plumbing in the cottage was old and cranky; she must ask her father to check it over.

Once the boiler was rattling and gurgling, and the kettle on, she drew the dining-room curtains and let Luna out of her crate and into the cold winter garden. The new dog was scared of everything. She skittered, surprised by a gust of wind, the soft crunch of the iced grass beneath the pads of her paws, and the sound of a van trundling down the lane. Her eyes were wide, her ears moved between the two positions of either pointing straight up, or lying flat against her head. At first, she kept looking to Marnie and Tessy for reassurance but after a while she relaxed enough to have a little sniff and then she went into a corner of the garden and hid behind a bush to toilet.

After that Marnie made a mug of coffee and filled a hot-water bottle, which she tucked between her jumper and her jacket and then she went to see to the animals in the stable. She let Mister, muzzled, potter round the garden while she attended to the donkey and pony.

It was heavy work forking the dirty bedding into the barrow, hard to breathe the icy air, but the radio was playing and Marnie sang along to the old songs in her head as she worked. Soon, the hot-water bottle had been abandoned, and even without it she was warm despite the chill. The damp straw stank of ammonia and was clodded with manure. The breath puffed in steamy clouds from the animals’ nostrils, the two of them nudging at Marnie for attention. She loved them. She loved being in the stables with them and she never minded being there without human company. She enjoyed the early morning solitude, the contented animals mooching with her. She leaned on the stable door while Scrumpy nibbled at the sleeve of her jumper. The robin was perched on the arm of the wheelbarrow; everything was as it should be. This was the place where, if she had considered it, Marnie would say she felt happiest in the world: away from people and with her animals.