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Under a Dancing Star

Laura Wood
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for Laura Wood
  3. Dedication
  4. Part One: England
  5. Chapter One
  6. Chapter Two
  7. Chapter Three
  8. Part Two: Villa di Stelle
  9. Chapter Four
  10. Chapter Five
  11. Chapter Six
  12. Chapter Seven
  13. Chapter Eight
  14. Chapter Nine
  15. Chapter Ten
  16. Chapter Eleven
  17. Chapter Twelve
  18. Chapter Thirteen
  19. Chapter Fourteen
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. Chapter Eighteen
  24. Part Three: Villa di Stelle
  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. Part Four: Florence
  36. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  37. Chapter Thirty
  38. Chapter Thirty-One
  39. Chapter Thirty-Two
  40. Part Five: Villa Di Stelle
  41. Chapter Thirty-Three
  42. Chapter Thirty-Four
  43. Chapter Thirty-Five
  44. Chapter Thirty-Six
  45. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  46. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  47. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  48. Chapter Forty
  49. Epilogue: England
  50. Acknowledgements
  51. About the Author

Cover

cover

Praise for Laura Wood

Praise for

LAURA WOOD

“While there are glints of Georgette Heyer, The Great Gatsby and I Capture the Castle throughout, this feel-good book is its own creature entirely”

Guardian

“A gorgeous coming-of-age tale”

i newspaper

“Pure escapism … a wildly romantic, delicious indulgence. Wood is unapologetic about her influences, but the book is all the more charming for it”

Observer

“The perfect comfort read, the kind of lovely, utterly absorbing novel that is not published any more. I loved it”

Ella Risbridger

“As elegant and energising as a flute of fine champagne … jubilantly fine fiction”

LoveReading4Kids

“Perfect for glamour-soaked summer escapism”

Mail on Sunday

“A captivating, charming and nostalgic romance”

Daily Express

“A brilliant, beautiful book. I loved it”

Louise O’Neill

Dedication

For Paul, because of love.

I know you of old.

- Much Ado about Nothing, Act I, Scene I

Part One: England

Part One: England

June, 1933

DON PEDRO:

Your silence most offends me, and to be merry best becomes you; for out o’ question, you were born in a merry hour.

BEATRICE:

No, sure, my lord, my mother cried; but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born.

– Much Ado About Nothing, Act II, Scene 1

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

“That’s it,” I murmur, as I creep closer. “Nearly got you…”

My hands are steady, and I hold my breath, waiting for precisely the right moment to pounce. With a twist of my wrist I manage to trap my elusive prey and I screw the lid on the jar with a flourish.

Victory surges through me. I close my eyes and lift my face to the sun, enjoying the warmth as it ripples across my skin. Nearby, a garden warbler is singing, the melody dancing through the air as the bird marks his territory.

For a moment all is right with the world.

“Beatrice! Not again!” A dismayed voice drags me from my thoughts and I open my eyes to see a figure stalking furiously down the path towards me.

“Hello, Mother!” I exclaim. “Sorry, I was miles away.” I see her jaw tighten. “What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the party?” Mother has been talking about nothing but tonight’s dinner party for months.

“I am ready for the party,” she replies frostily, and now that she is closer, I can see that this is true. My mother always looks very elegant, but she is more dressed up than usual thanks to the rope of pearls around her neck and the dusty-pink evening gown that – though it has seen better days – still retains an air of faded glamour.