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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

‘Yeah, all good,’ Naomi said, despite her sister’s earlier reservations. ‘Why don’t you come home? It worries me, to think of you bumping into her when she’s off her meds.’

‘It’s crossed my mind,’ Ed said solemnly. ‘I’ve been wondering what sort of state she’s gonna be in. I’ll wrap up soon, I promise. I’ve done all I can.’

Good, Naomi thought, exhaling a sigh of relief. Perhaps this trip had given him time to see sense. They exchanged small talk before Ed said he loved her and ended the call.

Her sister threw her a disapproving glare. ‘You should have told him about the footsteps. He should be here, helping you settle in.’

‘He’s in Harmony’s local making some enquiries, then he’s heading straight home.’

‘Then you’ll be OK if I shoot off early?’ Connie said. ‘I don’t want to get snowed in. Work called. They need my input on a case.’

‘Of course. You’re always in demand.’ Naomi felt slightly envious. ‘I’ll be fine without you. I’m going to poke around the loft after you’ve gone.’

‘Rather you than me.’ Connie shuddered. ‘And don’t worry about Morgan. I had a word with her last night. She won’t be giving you any more trouble.’

‘Oh God,’ Naomi uttered in disbelief. ‘What did you say?’

‘Just told her some home truths.’ Connie winked at her sister before turning to leave.

No wonder she’s sulking in her room, Naomi thought. Connie had probably made things a hundred times worse.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Morgan blinked in the darkness, her body shivering so violently that she could barely catch her breath. Her limbs ached with the cold, and instinctively she tucked her knees up to her chest. Where was she? She groaned through chattering teeth as a blinding flash of pain made itself known. It felt as if someone was pushing a hot knife into the back of her head. Dizzy and confused, she tried to recall how she had got here, but the pain was all-consuming. She lay in darkness, her face turning to the bars of light overhead. Where was she? Her eyes narrowed as the pain in her head pounded an invisible drum. How did she get here?

She’d been in the forest. She was walking. It was dark. She was about to turn home.

Her muscles stiffened as her teeth continued to chatter. Falling . . . she remembered falling. Her stomach lurching as she hurtled towards a brook. It had been like a roller-coaster ride, a sudden sharp dip as she fell into the unknown, her hands splayed.

Was someone else there? Her head was fuzzy with pain. No. Couldn’t have been. It was dark. She couldn’t see. Her thoughts were jumbled, her memories broken by the pounding in her head. Where was she again? She fought to stop the darkness closing in.