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Back When I Was Ten Save as PDF
Chapters (79)
  1. Cover
  2. WHEN I WAS TEN
  3. Dedication page
  4. Epigraph page
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. PART ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. PART TWO
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. PART THREE
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  78. WHEN I WAS TEN
  79. Also by Fiona Cummins

Catherine heard him before she saw him, his voice warming up the ice-tinged twilight. He was sitting on a bench, his shoulders bent, one hand clutching his phone, the other playing with a scrap of paper in his hand. She felt a rush of affection at the sight of him and almost called out, but instinct stopped her, and then she was glad because the tempo of his voice changed and became agitated, almost ugly.

‘I’ll leave tonight if you tell me the truth,’ he said.

A silence followed, so still that Catherine could hear the sound the snow made as it settled on the ground.

‘I can’t discuss it with her.’ He was shaking his head. ‘Not yet. I don’t want to.’

Her world tilted. Edward was talking about her, she was almost certain of it. But to whom? Catherine took a step towards her husband, to ask what on earth was going on. But there was a hardness to him she’d never encountered before and it frightened her.

‘Do I love her?’ A bitter laugh. ‘Of course I do, Eliza. I wonder, though, if she loves me.’

Eliza? Her Eliza? Catherine’s stomach turned over. For what possible reason could Edward be talking to her? The reality of what this might mean – and the repercussions, especially for Honor – made her restless with fear.

Her toes were so cold, almost numb. If he turned around now he would see her. A compulsion to get away from him, to unhear what had been said, took hold. Anyone but Eliza. She stepped backwards and then she was running through the snow, away from the crack in her marriage, the disdain of her daughter, the collapsing walls of her life.

The house of straw she had staked everything on was about to fall down.

19

We arrive in Coggsbridge just after six.

The snow made driving slow and difficult, but not impossible. Lawrie left his car in Kent and travelled with me because he needed to make calls and chase up addresses. Almost four hours together in an enclosed space. Be still my beating heart.

The travel department has booked us into a guest house on the main street, and after we’ve been shown to our rooms, I check my mobile phone.

Still no message from Aunt Peg, but then I remember it’s Wednesday. Bingo and ballroom dancing at the church.

‘What shall we do now?’ I ask Lawrie when we meet back in reception, but I know what his answer will be. Some reporters prefer a good dinner and an easy life. Lawrie is not one of them and neither am I.

‘Let’s go straight to the house,’ he says. ‘See what Catherine Allen has to say for herself.’