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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

Grace had sat bolt upright as someone rapped the front door three times. Her mother had jumped to attention and begun talking to herself, which is what she did when Daddy was away. Her hand was cold as she grasped Grace’s wrist in a warning, telling her to stay put. But Grace had been in her room all day, and she burned to go outside. But burn she would, in every sense, if she disobeyed her mother’s instructions. The last time she did that . . . She rubbed her arm, the memory of the pain still lingering beneath the surface.

She watched her mother dragging her feet across the floor. Creeping to her bedroom door, Grace could hear a man’s voice. ‘It’s Sergeant Lloyd Thomas,’ he’d said. ‘From the village. Just checking in with you.’

Grace had sucked her bottom lip, something she did when she was nervous. Police were good people, weren’t they? People who could be trusted. She lingered a little longer, peering down the dim corridor, hoping he would come inside. To have a day that wasn’t like all the others was a gift. She hoped her mummy would be a little happier too. She was like a wilted flower every time her daddy went away.

She listened as the bolt shot over the door. The outside world was calling her. But the door closed as quickly as it opened. Her mother was acting all fluttery and funny as she spoke to the man who said he had been her friend. She spoke about a car accident, and how she used to be a nurse. This was the most Grace had heard her say in a very long time. The man spoke in low soothing tones as he asked why the house was so dark. But Grace had not always lived in the darkness. She could remember happier times.

‘Anyway,’ her mother had said. ‘I’ll get Grace. We don’t get many visitors. I’m sure she’s dying to meet you.’

Stepping back from the door, Grace scooted to her bed. She couldn’t be happier that her mummy had made a new friend. She smoothed down her dress, fixed her leggings to ensure every inch of her ankles were covered. She pulled on her gloves before wrapping her scarf around her neck. She knew the drill.

Her mother was flushed as she opened the door. ‘There’s someone who would like to meet you,’ she’d said, her smile wide. She looked different when she smiled. Softer, more her age.