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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

‘That’s kind,’ said Grace, trying desperately to bite back her tears and relax the tightening in her throat so that she didn’t give away the turmoil she was feeling. ‘And are you all right financially?’ This had only just occurred to her. What would the poor child be living on?

Leah shrugged again. ‘I’ve got some savings. And I can get a job easy enough if I leave school. At least the house is mine now.’

Technically, thought Grace, it was probably hers, seeing it was her money that had paid for it. Still, the legal niceties made no odds here. There was no way she would ever throw Leah out on the street.

‘They say it gets easier to bear with time,’ said Grace. Her words sounded fatuous and empty, but she couldn’t think of a single meaningful thing that might console the girl. Her current situation was about as bleak as it got.

Leah gave her a little half-smile. ‘Someone else said that,’ she said. ‘I’m sure it must be true. And let’s face it. Things can’t get any worse.’

Another smile. The girl was a fighter, Grace would give her that.

‘Well, would it help if we met up again for a chat? Perhaps in a couple of weeks? You can tell me then whether things are improving.’

Leah was nodding and her smile broadened. She lifted her dirty hair away from her face and pulled it into a ponytail, tying it up with a band from around her wrist.

‘I’d like that,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’

49

49

LEAH – NOW

Clio was on a split shift at the pub and so had come for a bit of tea with me in her break before she went back to work. She was as happy as a pig in muck at the King’s Head and even prepared to work twice in one day, it seemed, if Eddie asked her nicely. He probably thought he was doing her a favour by giving her the extra shifts. I wondered what he’d think if he knew she lived in a stately home. I’d thrown together some sandwiches from bits I’d found in the fridge and we pulled two kitchen chairs out into my postage-stamp garden and positioned them so we could see the sea. The sounds of children playing in the playground over the road rang out, laughter then raucous shouts and then laughter again.

‘Has Stacey Waters been back?’ I asked, as I bit into my ham and pickle. I didn’t want to bring the incident up, but at the same time I couldn’t just pretend it hadn’t happened.

Clio shook her head.

‘I’m so sorry about all that,’ I said, focusing my attention on my sandwich. ‘You must think I’m a real scuzzer.’