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Back The Widow Save as PDF
Chapters (92)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. PART I
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. PART II
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  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. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. MORE FROM VALERIE KEOGH
  90. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  91. The Murder List
  92. About Boldwood Books

‘I knew you would be. Well, we can give notice tomorrow, then we’ll be able to marry within the month.’ He stood back, holding her upper arms, looking into her eyes. ‘Then you’ll be Mrs Fellowes and I’ll be the happiest man alive.’

And for the first time, basking in his love, she wondered if perhaps, after all, marriage to him wouldn’t suit her very well.

PART II

11

Peter leaned against the breakfast bar, an almost empty pint glass in his hand. ‘Who’s this woman you’re meeting tomorrow?’

Allison fitted the last dinner plate into the dishwasher before turning to answer him. ‘I told you already: Jo Kirby, a woman I met in a Facebook book group. She commented on a few of my posts, then she sent me a DM. I don’t normally respond to private messages but when she mentioned she was an accountant too, I decided why not.’ She reached for a dishwasher tablet, popped it into the slot and pressed the buttons to start the cycle.

He swirled the remnant of beer around the glass before taking a sip. ‘You sure it’s safe? She could be an axe murderer; there’s a lot of dodgy types on social media.’

‘This from a man who doesn’t use anything apart from LinkedIn.’ She patted him gently on the cheek. ‘Don’t worry. We’ve been exchanging messages for months so when she mentioned she was coming to London, it was my idea we meet up for lunch. It’s almost funny how much we have in common. Apart from our jobs, we’re both originally from Oxford and went to university in Southampton. That was odd enough but then she mentioned in the book group that E.F. Benson’s Mapp and Lucia series was a favourite of hers. I was stunned. You know how much I love those books.’

‘You’ve been trying to get me to read them since we met, so that would be a yes.’ He grinned.

She swatted him with the tea towel she held. ‘I’m not giving up.’ She folded the towel in half and slipped it onto the towel rail, straightening it until it hung neatly in the middle. ‘To add to the list of coincidences, both you and her husband are solicitors.’

He gave this a slight smile. ‘You’ll be telling me next that tomorrow is their three-month wedding anniversary.’

‘That would have been one coincidence too far.’ Allison shivered. ‘And verging into creepy territory. Anyway, no, she’s been married for years. Has a grown-up son in university. And she’s thirty-nine, so ten years older than me.’