Josephine Cox - A Family Secret - No. 1 Bestseller of family drama

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers 2017

Copyright © Josephine Cox 2017

Cover photographs © Andy & Michelle Kerry / Trevillion Images

Cover layout design © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2017

Josephine Cox 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 e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, 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: 9780007420001

Ebook Edition © September 2017 ISBN: 9780007420018

Version: 2017-07-14

For my Ken – as always

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

A special message from Jo

None of us … None of us can foresee the future, and maybe that is a good thing, because each and every one of us is driven by whatever certain circumstances might well influence our lives, as we work towards the precious things in life, good or bad. We are often made to deal with life as it takes us forward to an unknown future, be it a sorry, empty fate or a kind and fulfilling happy life with the people we cherish. In the beginning of my story we can picture Marie, happily playing on the seaside beaches with her beloved child, Anne. In contrast, as time passes and the child becomes the adult, circumstances within Marie’s beloved family may inevitably change and dark secrets throw a shadow over Marie’s family. How will she cope when the truth is made known? It was a simple, heart-warming scene, long before the joy of friendship turned into badness, which was bound to touch and scar everyone in that happy holidaying mood on this particular lovely day. No one could have seen what sadness might touch straight and decent people – a family so far without secrets to fear. Life was good and the friendship strong. Today, they were happy, enjoying an innocent ramble along the busy beach. Sadly the small happy band of people could never have envisaged the lies and deceit that would touch them in different ways. How will they deal with what awaits them? Only time will tell.

Prologue

Part One: Old Secrets

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Part Two: Where There Is A Will There Is A Way

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Part Three: Secrets Revealed

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Part Four: Sunshine After The Rain

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Acknowledgements

Keep Reading …

About the Author

Also by Josephine Cox

About the Publisher

Dear Readers,

I’m so happy to share my latest story with you, this was a very special book for me to write. The past year has been full of the twists and turns that life can take and it has brought home just how important and cherished family really is. For Marie, too, I hope you can see the immense love she has for her family, guiding her through the dark times. We never quite know what life will throw at us, how it will all take its toll, but we have to hold on to the hope that everything will come good in the end.

Marie has been carrying the burden of a secret for many years. She fears the truth coming out, knowing that the consequences could badly hurt the people she loves most. Don’t judge her too harshly, we all make mistakes and have regrets, but it’s our inherent goodness that counts in the end. The characters in the story all show incredible strength and I hope you can see the devotion that they have for one another in the face of guilt and hardship. For them, and for all of us lucky enough to be surrounded by family, it’s important to remember that the love of a family is the most precious gift.

I hope that you can welcome these characters into your hearts. For me they are very real, they live and breathe with me. Please do let me know, after you’ve read this story of love and loss through the generations, what you thought of their journeys.

I love hearing from each and every one of you, and always look forward to the letters that find their way to my door. Just as family is so precious, you, my loyal readers, are much-cherished too. And you’re not just readers, but friends and compatriots, and I hope that you can confide in me whenever you feel lonely or sad. I have so much gratitude for the loyalty and love I get from you, and I will strive to reply to your wonderful letters as soon as I can.

I hope that this year brings you everything you wish for. For me, it’s another stride towards the next book, and I can’t wait to share more stories with you.

With all my love,