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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

Yes, it had been a super afternoon and a part of her would dearly love to have shared it with her mother, but that would bring with it far too many questions of the kind that Clio didn’t want to answer. It would be better to upset her mother about this one little thing than about the whole sorry mess.

15

15

GRACE – THEN

The summer that Grace was pregnant with her second child simply raced by. Charles was busy with work as the orchestra’s summer season got into full swing, but he also managed to get away for Grand Prix races in Belgium, Germany and Holland. Grace, in the meantime, was busy making preparations for the baby’s arrival. She had redecorated Hector’s new room and the nursery, but that had made other parts of the Hall look shabby, and so what had started as a bit of a touch-up had turned into a full-scale project for Grace to manage.

Armed with paint samples and swatches of curtain fabric, she chased Charles around the place trying to get his view on the various styles that she was contemplating.

‘Is that not just another shade of magnolia?’ he asked as she thrust yet another tester strip under his nose.

Grace sighed in frustration and shook her head playfully. ‘No, silly! This is Apple White. Look properly. It’s a totally different colour. It’s virtually green, Charles. How can you not see that?’

But Charles just shook his head. ‘Whatever you choose will be perfect, Gracie darling. I love you and so I will love your new colour schemes, even if they are all just variations on cream.’

‘And we need to talk about the baby,’ Grace added, anxious now that she seemed to have his attention to hang on to it for matters more important than paint.

Charles was packing his music up ready for the rehearsal later.

‘What about the baby?’ he asked without looking up.

He could be so infuriating, Grace thought. There were so many things that needed discussing. Why couldn’t he see that? ‘Well, names for one thing,’ she replied impatiently.

‘What’s wrong with Bump? It’s a fine name and it’s done him proud till now.’

Exasperated, Grace ploughed on. ‘And we need to swap diaries so I know where you’ll be when I need you.’

‘I’ll be right here with you, my darling,’ replied Charles, finally stopping what he was doing and focusing on her entirely. ‘You can squeeze my hand as tightly as you like. I’ll even tolerate a little light swearing if it helps you push him out.’

When he was in this kind of mood there was little point in persisting, so Grace gave up. There would be time enough to sort things out, she thought.