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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

Grace looked so desperately sad that I thought she might disintegrate to powder there in front of our eyes.

‘That was through the house, too,’ she said softly. ‘The bank rang asking about the deeds when Charles first bought it back in the eighties. Your father told me that he’d bought it for his half-brother, so one day I came to see it for myself. I met your mother, Leah. She was a lovely woman, so open and friendly. She invited me in and we had such a nice chat. I didn’t know then that her Ray and my Charles were the same person. I just believed what Charles had told me. I mean, why wouldn’t I?’

Grace looked around the three of us for some reassurance, but none of us responded, so she continued. ‘Then one day when I came to see Melissa, I saw Charles in the house with her. I thought to start with that they were having an affair, and eventually I decided that Charles had cooked up the story about Ray just to put me off the scent. I only found out years later that he was actually married to us both.’

‘I can’t do this,’ Hector announced suddenly, turning on his heel and striding off in the direction of the house. ‘I refuse to have anything to do with it. It’s complete crap. I’m going back to the Hall. Mother, Clio. Let’s go.’

For a moment, Clio looked as though she was going to object to being ordered around like that, but then Grace shook her head at her and she seemed to change her mind.

‘I’m so sorry, Leah,’ said Grace. ‘I’m sure we’ll be in touch very soon. And please don’t worry about the house. There is no way that I will allow you to be turned out on to the street.’

She gave me a smile, and in it I could see some of the strength that must have allowed her to carry Dad’s terrible secret by herself for all those years. I smiled back, and I hoped she could see that I didn’t blame her for any of it. At least, I hoped I didn’t. My mind was in such a mess that I couldn’t be sure of what I thought.

Grace turned to leave, following her son to the beach steps. Clio lingered a moment longer, but then Hector bellowed at her across the sand and she scampered after him like a little girl.

‘I’ll ring you,’ she mouthed at me as she ran, her hand to her ear like a telephone receiver.

I felt completely numb. I couldn’t even begin to take in what had just happened. I watched the sorry little band as they trailed across the sand to the steps, up and away.