She’d been thinking exactly that when a sound by the door interrupted her thoughts. Turning round, she noticed that a long white envelope had been slid underneath the door. Intrigued and a little alarmed, Rose went to pick it up, anxiety flaring in her chest as she recognized Frasier’s handwriting.
Dearest Rose,
I will never forget the first time I saw you, you took my breath away. But it wasn’t your beauty that I fell instantly in love with, it was your courage, the fire in your eyes, even when you sat so still and talked so quietly. I told myself I was crazy for falling for a woman who was not only married, but pregnant, a woman I’d only just met, and I tried to forget about you. But I couldn’t stop myself from writing you that note, from trying to say so much without saying anything at all.
The second I met you again, all of those feelings came back, not that they had ever really gone away—you have always been the woman of my dreams. I loved your father very much, but I confess I hoped that by knowing him, I would get the chance to see you again one day. As our friendship grew, I discovered more and more reasons to fall in love with you, but I never believed that you might feel the same way as me. When you told me about the note, and the real reason you came to Millthwaite, I was so happy, everything was perfect. I’m not proud of what happened after that, of the way I behaved, and how I slighted you, you who deserve it least of all. I believe I was overwhelmed and I realize how it must have looked, but I wasn’t running away from you. I was running away from the terrifying prospect of having a dream come true and of somehow failing you. If only I had an ounce of your courage.
I can only hope that by now you have had the time to forgive me my foolishness and to realize once again that if you give me another chance, I will do all I can every day for the rest of our lives to deserve you.
Dearest Rose, you are the bravest, most beautiful, funniest, cleverest woman I have ever met, and you make my heart race as much now as the very first time I saw you. And just so we are clear, I love you, Rose.
Yours always,
Frasier
P.S. I’m standing outside the door.
Rose clasped the letter to her chest, knowing even in that moment that it would be one she would read over and over again, for the rest of her life. And then, with tears of joy brimming in her eyes, she put her hand on the latch and opened the front door.
Acknowledgments
Firstly I want to say a special heartfelt thank you to the hundreds of women who were brave enough to share their stories of domestic abuse with me during the course of researching this book. I never imagined, when I asked for people to contact me with their stories, that I would receive such an overwhelming response, each experience as desperately painful and shocking as the last, and so sickeningly common that surely more must be done to stop the routine abuse of women in their own homes.
The publication of The Runaway Wife marks the tenth anniversary of the publication of my first novel in 2002. A lot has happened in those ten years, including birth, divorce, marriage, and (a lot) more birth, but one thing has always remained constant through all the ups and downs, and that is my writing. I’ve been exceptionally fortunate and grateful to the team at Simon & Schuster, over much of that time, and now seems like a good time to thank everyone who has contributed to and supported my work, both past and present.
Special thanks to my editor, Emilia Pisani, who has helped make this book as good as it can be.
Thank you also to my agent and friend Lizzy Kremer, who has been at my side for every one of those years, is always in my corner, and sometimes is the only person in the world keeping me sane!
I’m so lucky to have become good friends with many other writers, in a community that is unfailingly supportive, and I want to thank especially Katy Regan, Katie Fforde, Trisha Ashley, Caroline Smailes, Serena Mackesy, Cally Taylor, Elle Amberley, Keris Stainton, Tamsyn Murray, and so many more who inspire, cheer, and make me laugh on a daily basis.
Also my dear friends Jenny Matthews, Margi Harris, Catherine Ashley, Kirstie Seaman, Claire Winter, Rosie Woolley, Cathy Carter, Sarah Darby and, yes, you again Katy Regan. I love you.
The world of social networking means I now get to meet and get to know readers from around the world, some of whom have become friends and all of whom have kept me motivated with their good wishes and appreciation, so thank you to all of you, you don’t know how much pleasure it gives me to get a message of support from Texas, or Thailand, or Twickenham on a Monday morning!
Finally, thank you to my family: my husband Adam, whose belief in me and love means so much, and my incredible, beautiful, talented, funny, adorable children, Lily, Fred, Stanley, and Aubrey, and my stepson, Harry. You keep us busy and tired but life would be so boring without you.
A Gallery Readers Group Guide
The Runaway Wife
ROWAN COLEMAN
Rose Pritchard has fled her home with her seven-year-old daughter Maddie, arriving at a B&B in a remote village in the middle of the night. Rose is not just running away from something but running toward a new life that she hopes exists, in search of the person who once offered her hope.
Almost immediately Rose wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake—if she’s chasing a dream—but she knows in her heart that she cannot go back. She’s been given a second chance—at life and at love—but will she have the courage to take it?
Questions for Discussion
1. Coleman unfolds Rose’s story one layer at a time, slowly uncovering the reasons for her hasty getaway. How did learning more about Rose’s past influence how you perceived her in the present-day narrative?
2. Rose sees herself as a vulnerable and fragile person, but her inner strength becomes more and more apparent as the storyline progresses. What are some examples of Rose’s bravery? What are the turning points that help her learn to assert herself?
3. Both Shona and Rose have endured abusive and unhealthy relationships. Compare and contrast how each woman copes with her situation. How did they end up with these men, and what does it take for them to walk away?
4. Rose shocks everyone—including herself—by cutting off all her hair and dyeing it blond. How significant is her dramatically different appearance? Have you ever undergone a physical transformation to help you make a change in your life?
5. After nearly eight years of anticipation, how do you think Frasier lives up to Rose’s expectations? In what ways is he not quite who she imagined he’d be?
6. Rose not only reconnects with Frasier in Millthwaite but finds her estranged father as well. Discuss the different ways in which each of these newfound relationships impact her. What do Frasier and John provide Rose that she’s been missing all these years?
7. How are Maddie and John able to build a relationship despite both of them having difficulty connecting with others? What are some of the ways in which Maddie and John are similar?
8. The Runaway Wife has a diverse cast of secondary characters, from brash and outspoken Shona to Jenny, whose bark seems much worse than her bite. Who was your favorite secondary character?
9. Maddie is an eccentric and precocious child. What are some examples of Maddie being wise beyond her years? What are some of your favorite Maddie-isms?
10. Discuss Frasier’s reaction when he finds out about Rose’s liaison with Ted. What was your reaction to his behavior? How does his attitude reflect his perception of Rose?
11. Frasier and Rose made an instant connection that sustained itself for years. Would you call this love at first sight? Do you believe that it’s possible to feel this way about someone you’ve met only briefly?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Frasier and Rose show the world John’s true identity as an artist with his final exhibition. Visit a local art gallery or museum with your book club and discuss your favorite works.
2. Research England’s Lake District (www.golakes.co.uk/) and choose which B&B you’d most like to stay in. Bring photos to your next meeting and describe your ideal getaway in
the English countryside.
3. If you like this novel, check out other books by Rowan Coleman, such as Lessons in Laughing Out Loud, The Home for Broken Hearts, and The Accidental Mother. You can learn more about the author and her work at www.rowancoleman.co.uk and follower her on Twitter @RowanColeman.
© FOTOGRAFIX
ROWAN COLEMAN worked in bookselling and publishing for seven years and won the Company magazine Young Writer of the Year award in 2000. She is the author of six books published by Gallery Books, the most recent of which are The Home for Broken Hearts and Lessons in Laughing Out Loud. She lives with her husband, daughter, and sons in England.
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR: authors.simonandschuster.com/Rowan-Coleman
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Also by Rowan Coleman
Lessons in Laughing Out Loud
The Home for Broken Hearts
The Accidental Family
Mommy by Mistake
Another Mother’s Life
The Accidental Mother
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Gallery Books
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Rowan Coleman
Originally published in 2012 in Great Britain by Arrow Books.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
This Gallery Books trade paperback edition November 2013
GALLERY BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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Cover design by Anna Dorfman
Cover photograph by Edward Bentley/Flickr/Getty Images (landscape). Andy & Michelle Kerry/Trevillion Images (woman)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Coleman, Rowan.
The Runaway Wife / Rowan Coleman.—First Gallery Books Trade paperback edition.
pages cm
“Originally published in 2012 in Great Britain by Arrow Books.”
1. Runaway wives—Fiction. 2. Wife abuse—Fiction. 3. Love stories. I. Title.
PR6103.O4426R86 2013
823’.92—dc23
2013009696
ISBN 978-1-4767-2523-9
ISBN 978-1-4767-2528-4 (ebook)
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Readers Group Guide
Questions for Discussion
Enhance Your Book Club
About Rowan Coleman
The Runaway Wife Page 38