Virtue
Page 41
She turns back to the camera, begins to wave her arms at the invisible onlookers behind it, throwing a desperate hand out towards the orphanage. No one steps forward; the focus draws in to her face, pulls back out again to the dramatic scene behind her.
Then she is striding towards us, her face contorted with some emotion – rage, urgency, frustration; it’s hard to tell when the words are lost – and she is shouting.
She grabs an arm, tries to drag an onlooker back the way she has come, but the arm shakes her off, pulls itself away.
She’s standing now three feet from the camera, skin pale beneath the grime, eyes wide, white teeth flashing behind dirty lips. She stamps, she pleads, she holds a hand out dramatically at the crumbling building. And then she throws her hands up in a gesture of disgust.
And suddenly, her expression changes. The emotion drains away, is replaced by a transcendent, glowing calm. Age drops from her face, the cats’ eyes narrow, blink, and throw the lingering look of old into our own. Slowly, she nods.
Turns, and runs once more towards the building. The camera remains steadfast to the last, focus perfect as she gains her distance. She passes the knot of first-aiders without a glance, pelts to yawning doorway.
On the threshold, Godiva Fawcett stops for one brief moment, turns, as though she knows that this will be her final exit, smiles one last, radiant, sparkling smile for her loving public. Raises a hand in farewell and steps inside.
And then, the aftershock.
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Epub ISBN 9781446456880
Version 1.0
Published by Arrow Books 2000
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Copyright © Serena Mackesy 2000
Serena Mackesy has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
First published in Great Britain in 2000 by Arrow Books
Arrow Books
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 0 09 941475 9
Table of Contents
Contents
About the Author
Also by Serena Mackesy
Title Page
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Prologue
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
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter Sixty-Three
Epilogue
Copyright