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Back The Village Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. START READING
  6. PROLOGUE
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT
  15. CHAPTER NINE
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  24. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  25. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Not only did I investigate this mystery, I persuaded my husband to buy Ivy Cottage. But he did not know what he was letting himself in for. None of us did. As we drove into the pretty New Forest village of Nighbrook, it became apparent that we weren’t welcome there.

Stepping into Ivy Cottage felt like walking into someone else’s home. I felt unsettled and uncomfortable, always expecting a knock on the door. Would the Harper family return to reclaim their home? But soon it became apparent, as old secrets were revealed, that the family who lived there were long gone. As the story unravelled, we had no comprehension of the depth of the lies.

This is a tragic story of lies, love and deceit that spread throughout the village of Nighbrook like the ivy wrapped around the cottage where it all began.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Picking up the snow globe, Naomi gave it a shake. It served as a daily reminder that home wasn’t a building or location. It was where your heart was at peace. Now every day was precious, and she had learned to make life count. She was back in the heart of London, free of the web of lies she had become entangled in. This time, they were viewing properties as a family. There were no more secrets – and no ghosts of the past.

She thought she would feel excited when the truth was revealed, but all she felt was relief that her family had survived this ordeal. They had all run the gamut of emotions since their return to London. Forgiveness had been key, but they could not forget.

Plans for the new movie about the Harpers took up most of Ed’s day. Dawn’s character had been the toughest to write. Briefly, Naomi closed her eyes, recalling the vision of the little girl captured on the video screen. Only now could she see the resemblance between Grace and Dawn. Her implanted row of perfect white teeth, her blonde hair that had been dyed to protect her identity. How torturous must her life have been hidden behind the illusion of a terminal illness? One by one, the villagers of Nighbrook had opened up now that Lloyd could no longer threaten them. Reverend Mike Humphries had been instrumental in leading the way. Dawn’s confession meant they had no reason to keep their silence.

Naomi rested the globe on the window, next to a family photo of her, Ed and Morgan. Whatever trials they faced in the future, they would do so together and in London, the city she loved.

‘It’s time!’ Morgan said, giddy with excitement as she almost danced into the living room. She still spent far too long in her bedroom, but that was only to be expected with a long-distance romance.