by Emma Davies
‘I know!’ Her voice has risen, her eyes wild with fear at the understanding of what she needs to accept, what she must accept.
And, inexplicably, I find myself holding Stacey in my arms, this woman who has caused my family and friends so much pain, letting all the hurt and sorrow wash out of her.
‘What are you going to do?’ she whispers, a few moments later.
I gently release her. ‘Would you like me to get you anything?’ I ask. ‘A drink, or…?’
She shakes her head. ‘I’m having trouble keeping anything down.’ Her body is still trembling.
‘Do you have anyone you can talk to… about all of this? You shouldn’t be on your own.’
‘My mum and sisters help a bit, but they’re feeling it too. There’s no one else. Not since… My bloke left too. He couldn’t cope with it, didn’t want anything to do with me, or Leo…’ Her voice fades away and there’s nothing I can say. She has to make peace with herself and her friends. Her son too. No one else is going to do it for her.
I watch her for a moment. ‘Just now you asked me what I was going to do about this.’
She raises fearful eyes.
‘And I’m not going to do anything… I’ve been through hell, Stacey. I know what it feels like, but I reckon for me that might be over, on its way at least. I thought I hated you for what you’ve done to my family, but I don’t. I feel sorry for you because your suffering isn’t over, not by a long chalk. And you’ve got a long way to go yet before you find any peace.’ I take hold of her arms. ‘But I think you know what will help you to find it. You and your son. Do the right thing and tell the police, Stacey. Give Georgia and her family some closure, that’s all I ask.’
‘But I just want it to stop!’ she pleads.
But I can’t make it stop.
All I can do is hold her.
And tell her that I forgive her.
Epilogue
Thea
Stacey moved away a few months later. Where to I don’t know, and I didn’t ask. She came to say goodbye and I hugged her and wished her well. What else could I do? She has a tough time ahead of her. She didn’t volunteer the information and the question wasn’t mine to ask, but I know it’s in the hands of the police now; the papers have been full of it. I bumped into Jackie a week or so ago too, and she told me that Stacey and Leo are getting the help they need, and that’s the main thing.
Life has almost got back to normal now. I no longer feel as if I have to hold up a sign which reads ‘Nothing to see here, move right along’. We’re just a normal couple, going about our business, raising our family, with the same hopes, dreams and fears as everyone else. Except that I don’t think we’re normal at all, I think we’re extraordinary. Drew’s business is going from strength to strength and, apart from the fact that he’s finally realising his dream, I’m loving just having him here. He’s the one person who brings out the best in me, who helps me to soar and yet who keeps my feet firmly on the ground. And one thing’s for sure, I know that nothing can hurt us now.
So, was it a mistake to come back to Pevensey? Not in a million years. We’ve proved ourselves worthy of this house, but more than that we’ve found out what it is to come home. It’s the place that made us after all; we belong here.
Drew
It’s funny how, looking back before we moved, I was so scared that we would change, even though I thought I wanted us to. But I know now that the change was long overdue, and that we had outgrown our previous house and our lives. Because they were too narrow, too confined, and if we’d stayed in either of them we would never have grown. I don’t think I ever expected us to blossom in the ways in which we have, but I know I have Thea to thank for much of that. For taking all our hands and leading us through it. She doesn’t believe that of course. She smiles and just says that we were meant to come back to Pevensey for a reason and now we know why.
Maybe she’s right. Who am I to argue when Pevensey has played such a huge part in all our lives? When I see her now, tucking her hair back behind her ears before she picks up her pencil to draw something so amazing it makes me catch my breath, and when I hear our girls, shrieking with laughter as they run barefoot in the garden, how could I ever have doubted that this was where we should live? Thea teases me now and says that the house is the real reason why I picked her all those years ago, but that’s where she’s wrong. I picked her because she was the girl whose heart was bigger than she ever realised. Always was, always will be.
* * *
Looking for another totally gripping and emotional read? The Little Cottage on the Hill is available now!
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The Little Cottage on the Hill
The Little Cottage Series Book 1
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There’s blossom in the trees and daffodils as far as the eye can see. Maddie is looking forward to a fresh start in the countryside, but there’s just one little problem…
Following a scandal at her high-flying PR agency, twenty-six-year-old Maddie flees London to help promote what she thinks is going to be a luxurious holiday retreat in the countryside. Everything is riding on her making a success of this new job…
Yet when she arrives, Maddie is horrified to find a rundown old farm in a terrible state. The brooding and secretive owner, Seth, spent all his money on leasing the land when he fell in love with the beautiful, dishevelled farm cottages and the very romantic story behind them.
When Maddie discovers an old painting by the original owner’s wife, she unlocks the secret of the farm’s history and quickly realises she must start getting her hands dirty if this very special place is going to have any chance of survival. As she and Seth begin working together, the stunning view from the top of the hill is not the only thing that’s leaving her breathless…
After weeks of hard work the dream looks like it might become a reality, until a secret from Maddie’s past threatens to snatch it all away again. Can Maddie find a way to save the business and herself? Will she finally find a place to keep her heart within the crumbling walls of the little cottage on the hill?
Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Lucy Diamond and Debbie Johnson who are looking to escape to the countryside and fall in love watching the seasons change.
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Books by Emma Davies
Lucy’s Little Village Book Club
The House at Hope Corner
The Beekeeper’s Cottage
The Little Shop on Silver Linings Street
My Husband’s Lie
The Little Cottage series
The Little Cottage on the Hill
Summer at the Little Cottage on the Hill
Return to the Little Cottage on the Hill
Christmas at the Little Cottage on the Hill
Letting in Light
Turn Towards the Sun
Merry Mistletoe
Spring Fever
Gooseberry Fool
Blackberry Way
Available in Audio
Lucy’s Little Village Book Club (Available in the UK and the US)
The Little Cottage series
The Little Cottage on the Hill (Available in the UK and the US)
Summer at the Little Cottage on the Hill (Available in the UK and the US)
A Letter from Emma
Hello, and thank you so much for choosing to read My Husband’s Lie. I do hope you enjoyed it and, before I carry on, I should just mention that if you’d like to stay updated on what’s coming next, please do sign up to my newsletter here and you’ll be the first to know!
Sign up here!
As I write this we’ve just moved into another decade. Not only that, but on the 15th January 2020 I celebrated my four-year anniversary of leaving my old working life behind to become a full
-time author. So it seems a particularly good time to take stock, and have a little celebration! It’s also a brilliant opportunity to say a big thank you, to you my readers, who have made all this possible. To those of you who have been with me from the beginning, through all fifteen books (yes, fifteen!) and to those who have just joined me, it sounds a little corny to say it, but I really couldn’t do it without you!
And My Husband’s Lie has also proved to be quite a milestone for me in other ways. In some respects it’s a return to my writing roots but, in others, marks the journey that I too have undertaken these past four years. Growing as a person and growing as a writer go hand in hand and this book has certainly provided some challenges. It’s darker, more emotional and suspenseful than my other books, but it’s been wonderful to write and now I’m here, it feels as if this is the place where I belong.
So I hope that readers of my past books will find even more to enjoy – I’ve been so grateful to have your company along the way and never lose sight of my loyalty to you. But to new readers, welcome, I hope you’ll stay for the rest of my journey, it looks set to be another busy year.
I hope to see you again very soon and, in the meantime, if you’ve enjoyed My Husband’s Lie, I would really appreciate a few minutes of your time to leave a review or post on social media. Every single review makes a massive difference and is very much appreciated!
Until next time,
Love, Emma x
www.emmadaviesauthor.com
Summer at the Little Cottage on the Hill
The Little Cottage Series Book 2
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Take an endless stroll through wild meadows and breathe in the sweet aroma of flowers in full bloom. The first ever guest at the little cottage on the hill is looking for an escape, but her past is not far behind her…
Thirty-two-year-old ‘ice queen’ Isobel slams the cottage door and pulls the curtains shut. She has just six weeks to practise for a secret project that could save her career and no one must know she is here.
When Tom, the local thatcher with eyes as blue and deep as the ocean, hears the sound of her violin on the breeze he feels a tug at his heart-strings that reminds him of happier times. Who is this mysterious new lodger, and why does she look so familiar?
Desperate to find out more, Tom is devastated when Isobel refuses to enjoy everything the farm has to offer. He won’t give in, but just when it looks like Isobel is coming out of her shell, someone recognises her and the troubles from her past threaten to take away everything she has been working towards.
Will the lessons Isobel learned at the little cottage help her to stand up and face the music? Will Tom ever find a way to unlock the emotion she needs to move on?
If you loved the heart-warming romance in novels by Jenny Colgan, Lucy Diamond and Debbie Johnson, you’ll adore this gorgeous, feel-good story about letting love in.
Return to the Little Cottage on the Hill
The Little Cottage Series Book 3
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The climb up the hill takes her past sweet-smelling pink roses in full bloom and leads her to an utterly breathtaking view. Megan is happy to be home at last, but will her relationship have survived the journey?
It has been a difficult few years for thirty-year-old Megan Forrester, completing her apprenticeship and trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with her gorgeous boyfriend, Liam.
She’s returned home to compete in a local craft competition. The prize is the chance to design beautiful new gates for the estate at the bottom of the hill, a job which could secure her future in the village forever.
As the contest gets underway, Megan is devastated when a rival design turns out to be almost identical to hers. Someone in the close-knit community must have leaked her sketches, but who? Is it the same person spreading heartbreaking rumours about Liam?
Down to the last few left in the competition, Megan throws her heart and soul into a show-stopping final piece… but will winning even matter when the truth about Liam is finally revealed?
Do you adore feel-good stories that leave you with a smile on your face? This heart-warming romance is a perfect escape for readers who flew through novels by Jenny Colgan, Lucy Diamond and Debbie Johnson.
Christmas at the Little Cottage on the Hill
The Little Cottage Series Book 4
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One twinkling winter’s night, Ruby wakes her sleeping children and escapes for a new life in the countryside. It’s a choice that will change her life beyond all recognition…
Arriving at the cosy little rental cottage as the first snow begins to fall, Ruby doesn’t regret leaving her bully of a husband for a moment, but she does feel guilty about uprooting her kids so close to Christmas. She can only wish that one day soon her son Jem will forgive her.
It’s not long before the family are settled in and drinking hot chocolate by the fire, the flames kept roaring by a neighbouring woodsman called Angus. As big as a tree, but as gentle as a dormouse, all Ruby’s instincts tell her to be wary of letting this gorgeous stranger get too close. Is that the first tingle of festive magic Ruby can feel? Or might it even be hope?
As Christmas day approaches and a blizzard sparks a power cut across the entire village, Ruby must force herself to believe in Christmas miracles again. Was she right to put her trust in Angus? With only flickering candles to guide her through the darkness, will she ever find her way back to the light?
Wrap yourself up in this utterly gorgeous festive romance, perfect for anyone who loves Heidi Swan, Jenny Colgan, Lucy Diamond – and Christmas!
Lucy’s Little Village Book Club
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Sometimes you’ve got to run away to find yourself…
Twenty-four-year-old Lucy needs a fresh start. Forever single and frustrated with her studies she gives up everything to run a little library in the leafy village of Tilley Moreton.
Lucy loves reading almost as much as she loves fixing other people’s problems, so starting a book club seems like the perfect opportunity to do both. As she meets her new members, it’s clear she’s going to have her work cut out for her. Handsome but silent Callum is the biggest puzzle of them all...
But Lucy’s meddling begins to cause more problems than it solves, and no one is more surprised than Lucy when Callum steps in to help. Could there be more to him than people think?
As Callum and Lucy start working together to fix the broken hearts of the library’s most loyal customers, the first sparks of romance begin to fly.
Can they right all the trouble Lucy has created, and might there be a chance for a happy ending of their own?
An utterly uplifting, emotional page-turner that will bring tears to your eyes and a smile to your face. Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan and Milly Johnson.
The House at Hope Corner
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The view across the valley takes her breath away; everywhere she looks tiny patches of colour – ochre, chestnut, lime and purple. The farmhouse behind her glows pink in the morning sun. It’s like stepping into a postcard, except that this magical place is real. It’s her new home.
With her beloved shop in danger of shutting down, meeting Ned, a gorgeous farmer with an irresistible twinkle in his eye, couldn’t have come at a better moment for free-spirited florist, Flora Dunbar. But no one is more surprised than her when their whirlwind romance leads to the offer of a new life on Ned’s farm.
Arriving at Hope Corner, Flora sets about becoming the perfect farmer’s wife, but her creative, alternative thinking falls flat in a household built on tradition and strict routine. Even Ned is becoming more distant by the day…
Pulling up her signature striped socks and throwing herself into her chores, little by little Flora learns to love the order and patterns of life on the land. But the more she learns about her new home, the more she suspects it’s under threat, and worse, that Ned is hiding a heartbreaking secret from her.
But this time, Flora’
s not going to run from her problems. Do Ned and his family trust her enough to let her stay and fight for love and the first house she’s ever truly called home? Does she trust herself?