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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

‘I’ll grab some glasses,’ she said, before heading out to the car. Just a few seconds. That was all she needed to clear her thoughts. She paused on the doorstep, taking a deep breath. The view was so different to that of her former abode. The only break in the trees was the narrow driveway that led them here. It felt claustrophobic, this small patch of clearing in the middle of the forest. As for the wildlife . . . she could feel all sorts of eyes upon her. She knew that deer often ran through the woods, and many varieties of birds made their homes in the trees. She had been warned not to feed the squirrels, as leftover food could bring in rats. Already, she felt like an intruder. Was it possible to make the cottage a home? She thought about the family who had once lived here. Where were the Harpers now?

A branch cracked underfoot. It drew her glance to a gap in the trees at the side of the house. She peered into the distance as a shadow dipped down. It was too big to be an animal. That movement was made on two legs. But what would someone be doing out here? She held her breath, forgetting about the glasses as she focused on the movement between the trees.

‘You all right?’ Ed followed her gaze as he joined her on the steps.

‘I saw someone,’ she whispered, pointing. ‘Over there.’

But Ed failed to mirror her concern. ‘Probably a deer.’ He grinned. ‘You’re not in the city any more. You’ll get used to it in time.’

A flurry of rooks spun in the air above them, their rasping caws echoing their discontent as they vacated their nests in the trees. Ed placed his arm around Naomi’s shoulder, drawing her in for a hug. He peered upwards at the greying clouds, pregnant with rain. ‘I smell a downpour. We’d better get our stuff in.’

Taking a box each, Naomi followed her husband inside, turning to close the cottage door. She had seen someone. She was sure of it. But their nearest neighbours were over a mile away.

She froze as a piercing scream echoed down the corridor. It was Morgan. Judging by the sound, something was horribly wrong.

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SIX