Tracy Buchanan - The Family Secret

Published by AVON

A Division of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers 2019

Copyright © Tracy Buchanan 2019

Cover design © Lisa Horton 2019

Cover photographs © Trevellion / Shutterstock2019

Tracy Buchanan asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008264680

Ebook Edition © January 2019 ISBN: 9780008264673

Version: 2018-12-12

‘Tracy Buchanan writes moving, gripping, heartbreakingly real family drama.’

Susan Lewis, Sunday Times bestselling author of Believe in Me

‘An ambitious and deeply poignant story that will take you into another world.’ Heat

‘I was left absolutely traumatised in a totally brilliant way … Beautiful, heartbreaking, uplifting … Really worth a read.’

Hello!

‘Something very different, refreshing and intriguing … I loved it!’

Tracy Rees, Richard and Judy bestselling author of The Hourglass

‘An intriguing mystery written with warmth and emotion.’

Lucy Clarke, bestselling author of You Let Me In

‘An intriguing story with plenty of twists and turns. A plot that keeps you guessing!’

Gill Paul, bestselling author of The Secret Wife

‘Twisty, emotional and far too hard to put down. I loved this heartbreaker from the fabulous Tracy Buchanan!’

Katie Marsh, bestselling author of My Everything

‘A beautifully written book that truly sucks you in. Intriguing, likable and hugely relatable characters, plus scenery so gorgeous you can’t help but wish you were living alongside them. A perfect read for those who like mysteries with plenty of twists and turns.’

‘This book will stay with me a long time … Beautifully written with so much care and love.’

‘Tracy Buchanan knows how to weave a great story … and this is one of her best.’

‘This is an absolutely amazing novel about mothers and daughters, and the choices that we all face in our lives. Tracy Buchanan delivers a powerful story that kept me turning page after page.’

‘I normally tend to go for psychological thrillers and detective series so reading The Lost Sister was taking a step out of my comfort zone. I’m so glad I did. This is my first read from Tracy Buchanan but I can say it certainly won’t be the last.’

‘I really enjoyed this book, connected with the characters and the story, and eagerly wanted to know how it was going to conclude.’

Dedicated to my wonderful aunts: Jenny, Judy, Laura, Val and Wendy.

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Praise for Tracy Buchanan’s Novels

What Readers Loved About Tracy Buchanan’s Last Novel, The Lost Sister …

Dedication

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

Letter to My Readers

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Keep Reading…

Also by Tracy Buchanan

About the Publisher

She scrabbles at the broken ice around her to try to pull herself from the frigid water. But her fingers are like frozen wood, the ice brittle as it snaps at her touch.

She looks around frantically. She knows how this can end, has heard it a million times from people: ‘Don’t risk walking across the lake, it’s not worth it.’ But how else was she to get away?

She kicks her legs in the water, but already they have grown so weak. Just a few seconds in the icy depths and her body is beginning to shut down. She manages to twist around anyway, searching for help on the lake’s banks. And oh God, there’s somebody there!

‘Help,’ she screams. ‘I can’t get out.’

He steps forward and relief floods through her. But then he stills.

‘I’m serious!’ she shouts, icy water flooding into her mouth.

But he just continues staring at her. What is he doing? She peers behind him towards the lodge which is sprawled out on the lakefront. Golden lights glimmer, a huge Christmas tree adorns a vast window. Surely someone else can see her?

As she thinks that, two faces appear in one of the windows.

She frantically waves. ‘Help,’ she screams, voice warped with the cold. ‘Somebody help!’

But they too just stand there, motionless.

Can they see her? Yes, she’s stood at that very window many times before. It has the best view of the lake.

Why aren’t they running out to help her? Why isn’t he helping her?

Maybe they don’t want to. That shouldn’t surprise her after all she’s learnt today.

No, he wouldn’t allow me to die. He wouldn’t, no matter what has passed between us.

There is another possibility, of course. She could be imagining the figures at the window. Hallucinating. Does that mean she’s dying? As she thinks that, her vision blurs.

Snow-blind already?

Either scenario is terrifying. She tries to plead with him again. ‘I’m sorry, I – I won’t say anything,’ she says, her voice cracking. ‘Please …’ She puts a shaking hand out to him. He frowns slightly, hesitation in his eyes. But then he crosses his arms.

Terror surges through her, making her strong. She forces herself to push up from the water again, despite the growing heaviness of her trembling limbs and the strange pain starting to seep through the core of her body. She twists around, long hair shimmering in the frigid water around her, shaking fingers feeling across the ice to find a stronger wedge to pull herself up on.