Rosie Thomas - Constance

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers 2007

Copyright © Rosie Thomas 2007

Cover layout design © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2016 Jacket photographs © Shutterstock.com

Rosie Thomas 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: 9780007173563

Ebook Edition © April 2016 ISBN: 9780007389551

Version: 2016-04-28

‘Her evocation…touches on the variances and nuances of love between men and women, and the power of family relationships to destroy lives’

ELIZABETH BUCHAN, Daily Mail

‘Thomas can write with ravishing sensuality’

KATE SAUNDERS, The Times

‘Rosie Thomas writes so beautifully about the feelings of people in war, the imminence of death and the importance of passionate and romantic love’

DAME TANNI GREY-THOMPSON

‘Honest and absorbing, Rosie Thomas mixes the bitter and the hopeful with the knowledge that the human heart is far more complicated than any rule suggests’

Mail on Sunday

‘Rosie Thomas writes with beautiful, effortless prose, and shows a rare compassion and a real understanding of the nature of love’

The Times

‘Thomas’s novels are beautifully written. This one is a treat’

Marie Claire

‘A terrific book, beautifully written…questions about identity, belonging, infidelity, dying and forgiveness make this a very moving study of the human heart’

Australian Women’s Weekly

‘A heart-rending story…exquisitely drawn’

Express

‘Thomas creates unforgettable characters and settings. She’s a superb writer’

Choice

‘Terrific…a real weepy’

Sunday Times

For Cameron Mitchelson Bali

Cover

Title Page Constance Rosie Thomas

Copyright Copyright Copyright Praise Dedication PROLOGUE ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN FOURTEEN FIFTEEN SIXTEEN SEVENTEEN Acknowledgements Keep Reading: Daughter of the House About the Author Also by Rosie Thomas About the Publisher Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF www.harpercollins.co.uk First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers 2007 Copyright © Rosie Thomas 2007 Cover layout design © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2016 Jacket photographs © Shutterstock.com Rosie Thomas 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: 9780007173563 Ebook Edition © April 2016 ISBN: 9780007389551 Version: 2016-04-28

Praise Praise Praise Dedication PROLOGUE ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN FOURTEEN FIFTEEN SIXTEEN SEVENTEEN Acknowledgements Keep Reading: Daughter of the House About the Author Also by Rosie Thomas About the Publisher ‘Her evocation…touches on the variances and nuances of love between men and women, and the power of family relationships to destroy lives’ ELIZABETH BUCHAN, Daily Mail ‘Thomas can write with ravishing sensuality’ KATE SAUNDERS, The Times ‘Rosie Thomas writes so beautifully about the feelings of people in war, the imminence of death and the importance of passionate and romantic love’ DAME TANNI GREY-THOMPSON ‘Honest and absorbing, Rosie Thomas mixes the bitter and the hopeful with the knowledge that the human heart is far more complicated than any rule suggests’ Mail on Sunday ‘Rosie Thomas writes with beautiful, effortless prose, and shows a rare compassion and a real understanding of the nature of love’ The Times ‘Thomas’s novels are beautifully written. This one is a treat’ Marie Claire ‘A terrific book, beautifully written…questions about identity, belonging, infidelity, dying and forgiveness make this a very moving study of the human heart’ Australian Women’s Weekly ‘A heart-rending story…exquisitely drawn’ Express ‘Thomas creates unforgettable characters and settings. She’s a superb writer’ Choice ‘Terrific…a real weepy’ Sunday Times

Dedication Dedication Dedication PROLOGUE ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN FOURTEEN FIFTEEN SIXTEEN SEVENTEEN Acknowledgements Keep Reading: Daughter of the House About the Author Also by Rosie Thomas About the Publisher For Cameron Mitchelson Bali

PROLOGUE

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

Acknowledgements

Keep Reading: Daughter of the House

About the Author

Also by Rosie Thomas

About the Publisher