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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

‘Good,’ she said, satisfied that everything seemed to be as organised at it could be in the rather vague circumstances. ‘Well, let’s hope he or she arrives on time. Dinner will be in twenty minutes.’

‘I’ll just pack this away,’ he said, stroking his violin affectionately, and then added, ‘You do know I love you, don’t you, Grace?’

Grace smiled indulgently at him as if he were a child. ‘Of course I do,’ she said. ‘Although some days it feels a bit of a close-run thing between me and Dad’s car collection.’

She was joking and expected that he would respond in kind, but instead his smile slipped and he frowned. He looked so earnest that Grace almost giggled.

‘I mean it,’ he said. ‘Whatever happens, you must never forget that I love you. Come what may,’ he added.

He was so exasperating! Always so dramatic. He couldn’t help it, she supposed; it was the performer in him, and one of the many reasons why Grace loved him.

‘What are you talking about, you foolish man?’ she laughed. ‘Whatever happens, indeed. Are you planning a bank heist or something? Honestly! Of course I know you love me and I love you too. And in a few weeks we’ll become the perfect little family of four. I can’t wait to meet our new little he or she.’

‘Me neither,’ said Charles. ‘Me neither.’

16

16

LEAH – NOW

Our day out at Hartford Hall turned out to be far more fun than any of us had expected. Even my ever-so-slightly reluctant Poppy had to admit that Clio’s house was ‘pretty cool’ and that Marlon was ‘a right laugh’. Noah spent most of the journey home asking when we could go again and then fell asleep with his head in my lap.

‘Mum?’ said Poppy as the train rattled its way along the tracks. ‘Do you like Clio?’

‘Yes,’ I replied without stopping to think about it. ‘I do. Why do you ask? Do you think it’s weird that we can be friends when we’re so different?’

‘That’s just it,’ Poppy said. ‘Even though she’s dead rich and lives in that massive house, you and her are just the same.’

‘Well,’ I said, stroking Noah’s curls. ‘People are just people, no matter where they come from or how much money they’ve got. And Clio is really nice.’

‘Yes, but it’s not just that,’ said Poppy, tipping her head to one side and furrowing her brow as she thought about what she was trying to say. ‘You just seem alike. I mean, you laugh at the same jokes and everything.’