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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

‘I’ve made up a couple of rooms upstairs,’ she added, raising an eyebrow at me and then winking at Marlon. He’d been drinking all afternoon so he must have been in on it too. This would be a first for us. I’d not let him stay over at the house in case the kids wandered in.

‘I thought me, Poppy and Noah could have a sleepover here, and you and Marlon could go and stay with Grandma Grace.’

God bless her. Was there nothing she didn’t think of? I wasn’t sure about the Grandma Grace thing, but a quick sideways glance told me that Grace herself had no issue with it at all.

‘Would it be terribly corny if I put some Christmas carols on?’ asked Clio.

‘Yes!’ I replied.

‘Well, I don’t care,’ she said. ‘I’m going to do it anyway.’

I had to admit, though, that the carols were the perfect touch. It was almost like we were a real family.

Later, just as we were thinking about turning in, Grace handed me an envelope.

‘Merry Christmas, Leah,’ she said. ‘There’s no need to open it now. It’s just a letter telling you that I have transferred the title of the house over to you. It makes no difference, really. I would never have made you leave, but this way if anything happens to me there can be no question of you having to move out. I know it’s not really a gift, seeing as to all intents and purposes the house was yours anyway, but still . . .’ Her voice trailed off as she met my eyes with hers.

I didn’t know what to say. Grace was right. It only confirmed everything that I’d always thought I knew, but since the day on the beach all sense of certainty had been snatched from me. It would be nice to feel secure again.

Grace smiled that kind smile that I remembered from the days when she had been Mrs Newman to me. Now that I knew the whole story, what she had done for me seemed even more compassionate. I could only imagine how much pain she must have gone through to help alleviate mine. Nothing about the situation that I’d found myself in had been Grace’s fault and yet she had made the trip to Whitley Bay twice a month for years. I only knew one other woman who would have done the same.

Clio had scooped a sleeping Noah up in her arms and was heading for the door with him, Poppy trotting along after her.

‘Well, goodnight everyone,’ she said. ‘Sweet dreams.’

58

58

CHARLES