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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

She could feel her panic building. They were on very dangerous ground. Obviously, it was vital that she steer Hector away from this course of action – mainly so that Leah and her children didn’t lose the roof over their heads; but there was far more at stake than that. If Leah kept objecting to the eviction, then the solicitor would want to speak to her directly, and she would tell him that it was her father who had bought the house. It wouldn’t take long for Hector to put two and two together and work out that Leah had to be his half-sister, and then the whole web would unravel. That had to be avoided at all costs.

‘I want you to ring the solicitors straight back and tell them to take no further action until they hear from me. In fact, I’ll do it myself, so there can be no misunderstanding.’ Grace pressed the word to emphasise that she knew that no one had misunderstood anything. Hector had just done exactly as he pleased. He looked a little chastened, picking at a thread on his jacket, his eyes low.

‘It’s all right,’ he said grudgingly. ‘I’ll do it. But I’ve decided to drive out to Whitley Bay tomorrow to see the place for myself. You don’t object to that, I assume.’

Grace did object. She objected with all her heart, but she could not think of a single legitimate reason to stop him going.

‘Do you really think that’s wise?’ she said urgently, her voice brash and more high-pitched than usual. ‘Isn’t that tenant harassment or something?’ She was grasping at straws, she knew.

‘Is she a tenant when she doesn’t even pay any rent?’ asked Hector. ‘Squatter, more like. No. My mind is made up. I’m going over there in the morning.’

‘Then I’ll come too,’ said Grace.

‘And me,’ said Clio.

53

53

GRACE – NOW

Hector drove with Clio sitting up beside him.

‘I still don’t understand why we can’t leave well alone,’ Clio hissed at him as the car pulled out of the estate and turned towards the coast. ‘This is ridiculous, us all piling over there like this.’

‘You didn’t have to come, Clio,’ snapped Hector. He rarely called her by her real name, preferring the nursery nickname LeeLee that he had given her when she was a baby. Now, though, such was his anger with her that he had clearly resorted to more formality. ‘I can just drop you off here.’

Hector slowed the car as if to let her out, and the air was rent by an objecting horn from the car behind. Grace jumped and Hector speeded back up again.