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Back Where The Story Starts Save as PDF
Chapters (65)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. CONTENTS
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  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. BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS
  64. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  65. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa handed the photos back to Grace, relieved to see that she had got some colour back in her cheeks.

‘You’ve a lovely family, pet,’ Melissa said. ‘I bet you’re dead proud of them, aren’t you? And me too. We haven’t much . . .’ She cast a quick glance around the room, wondering what it looked like to Grace who clearly had enough cash to wear the top brands and send her kids off to boarding school. ‘But we’re luckier than some.’

Grace nodded again. She’d barely said two words since she’d arrived.

‘You’re sure everything’s okay?’ Melissa asked again. ‘With Charles and the kids, I mean?’

‘Yes. We’re all very well, thank you.’

Melissa was going to have to give up fishing for information. She would have to ask Grace outright to find out what was actually going on with her, but if she did that, Grace probably wouldn’t tell her and then she might never come back, which would be a shame.

‘Well, you’re welcome here any time,’ Melissa continued. ‘Bring the kiddies if you like,’ she added, feeling buoyed up by her naughtiness, although she regretted making the offer the moment the words were out of her mouth. Ray would be furious. Still, she very much doubted that Grace would take her up on her offer, so there was no real danger.

‘I must go,’ said Grace, putting down her barely touched cup of tea and reaching for her handbag. ‘Thank you so much for the tea.’

‘No worries, pet. And come again. Come soon.’

And then she was gone. Melissa slurped the rest of her cuppa and then wandered back to her petunias. She hoped that Grace did come back, although something told her that she wouldn’t see her again.

The shadowy figure reappeared at next door’s bay window. Melissa flicked two fingers up at it and then got back on with her potting up.

42

42

CLIO – NOW

Clio felt both excited but also quietly terrified by the prospect of the job that Leah had fixed up for her. She was also deeply touched by the gesture. Leah had clearly given the idea a lot of thought and had gone out of her way to make the arrangements, and Clio did not want to let her down in any way.

However, she really wished that she had someone to discuss her nerves with. Not Leah, obviously. Leah was already anxious enough about the whole venture; Clio had been able to tell that from the tone of her voice on the telephone. And she wasn’t about to tell her mother or Hector – not yet, anyway. The job felt like something she needed to do independently of her family. Hector wouldn’t understand, so there was no point in trying to talk to him. Clio thought that her mother might, but she wasn’t ready to tell her just yet.