Fragile Lies
Page 35
Old Celia used to have lilies in her front garden, tall and stately as church candles, and so it was lilies that preoccupied Lorraine one evening when she heard Hobbs barking. She would plant the lilies in the turned earth near the front of the house and fill the air with their scent. A car braked outside the gate and she knew, without turning, that he had arrived. Emily came to the front door and stood waiting. Hobbs’ barking abruptly stopped when Noeleen’s commanding voice rang out and, for an instant, when the engine switched off, the only sound to break the silence was the faint pulse of the sea.
Michael Carmody helped his son from the passenger seat. The young man’s legs looked too slender to support his weight. His face twisted from the effort of standing upright but he was able to place one foot before the other, and, leaning heavily on his father’s arm, step forward to greet Lorraine. The sun hovered above the headland, as if drifting on smoke, before disappearing into a dark rim beyond the brow.
* * *
Rain would fall before dawn. She could taste it, smell it, feel it on her skin, hear it falling softly from clouds scudding dark across the sky. So much to do, a desk diary filled with appointments, breakfast meetings, receptions to organise, phone calls to return. Virginia pulled open the balcony doors and stepped outside. Across the bay, a mosaic of flickering lights crowned the skyline, spiralled upwards towards the summit of Howth Head. The balcony rail was cold against her hand. A door slammed in a neighbouring apartment and, in the courtyard below, she saw him dance. He moved forward into fluorescent pools, spun and fell and rose again to bow before her. She pressed her hands against the rail and allowed the fear to consume her, acknowledging its source, knowing it would take time to pass. And it would pass. It always did. Everything passed. The courtyard lamps continued to burn between the high anonymous spires. A string of jewels surrounding the secrets of the night.
Letter from Laura
Thank you so much for deciding to read Fragile Lies. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed creating the imaginary lives of Lorraine and Michael, and the people closest too them.
Writing can be a solitary occupation and connecting with my readers when the story is told is both enjoyable and important to me. If you did enjoy Fragile Lies and have an opinion on the story it would be wonderful to read it in a review, no matter how short. I love reading reviews and always appreciate the fact that people take the time to write them. They also help other readers discover my books for the first time.
Also, if you’d like to keep up-to-date with all my latest releases, just sign up here:
Laura Elliot new releases email
Thank you so much for your support – until next time.
Laura Elliot
@elliot_laura
lauraelliotauthor
www.lauraelliotauthor.com
STOLEN CHILD
If you loved DAUGHTER by Jane Shemilt you will love this.
It's every mother's worst nightmare. Carla Kelly wakes to find her two-day-old baby daughter's cot empty. Isobel has been taken.
Susanne Dowling has kept a terrible secret following her fifth agonising miscarriage. When at last she welcomes her new baby daughter into her life she realises they will both be safe as long as Susanne keeps her daughter close, and confesses her lie to no one. Ever.
Carla, a top model, launches a fierce national campaign to find her baby – but the trail is cold. She receives threats and recriminations from strangers – she flaunted her pregnancy in the media, she cashed in on it, she deserves everything she gets – and, pressured by well-meaning loved ones to move on, she begins to fall apart.
But one letter Carla receives stands out from the rest, offering support from a surprising quarter. It sparks a chain of events that opens wounds and exposes shocking secrets from Carla’s past that suggest what happened to her daughter was revenge a long time planned .
And it will bring Carla unknowingly close to the stolen daughter she has sworn she will do anything to get back …
The Stolen Child
* * *
‘A bittersweet tale of love and heartache.’ Evening Echo
‘An entertaining and highly thought-provoking tearjerker.’ Closer magazine
THE PRODIGAL SISTER
'A page-turner…has all the ingredients of a bestseller.' RTE
When 15-year-old Cathy Lambert runs away from her Dublin home, she is scared and pregnant. Settled in New Zealand with her new son Conor she believes the secret she carries will never be revealed…
Rebecca Lambert was eighteen when her parents died and she took responsibility for her younger sisters. Years later, she is haunted by fears she hoped she'd conquered.
Freed from family duties, mother of three Julie Chambers is determined to recapture the dreams of her youth.
Married to a possessive older man, Lauren Moran embarks on a frantic love affair that threatens to destabilise her fragile world.
Anxious to make peace with her three sisters, Cathy invites them to her wedding.
But as the women journey together through New Zealand towards their reunion, they are forced to confront the past as the secret shared histories of the Lambert sisters are revealed.
* * *
‘A gripping, multi-stranded novel… An unusual combination of fine writing, strong plotting and a huge cast of well-formed characters.’ Irish Examiner
'A well-crafted and compelling story traces the deceits which begin unnoticed but end in the destruction of friendships and lives.' Irish Times
Acknowledgments
Many people assist the author, often unknowingly, in the writing and production of a book. They can range from those who willingly provide any background information necessary for the development of the story, those who offer encouraging words at crucial times or simply provide a much-needed cup of tea when too many hours have been spent at the computer. To all of you, my friends, I thank you for your contribution to Fragile Lies.
Thank you to my editorial team at Bookouture, especially to my editor, Claire Bord for her support, enthusiasm and professionalism. Working with her has been a privilege and a pleasure.
Thanks, also, to my agent, Faith O’Grady from the Lisa Richards Agency for her commitment to my writing career.
To my beloved family – my husband Sean, my son Tony, daughters Ciara and Michelle, son-in-law Roddy, daughter-in-law Louise – and my two wonderful grandchildren Romy and Ava – thank you all for your unfailing love, encouragement and support.
About the Author
Laura Elliot is also the author of The Prodigal Sister and Stolen Child, published by Avon - HarperCollins. Under her own name, June Considine, she has written twelve book for children and young adults. These include the fantasy Zentyre trilogy and the popular Beachwood series of books for pre-teens Her young adult novels include View from a Blind Bridge (short-listed for a Bisto Award) and The Glass Triangle. Her short stories have been broadcast on RTE’s Fiction 15 series and have appeared in a number of teenage anthologies, including The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror Annual Collection. She gives regular workshops on creative writing and is secretary of the board of the Irish Writers’ Centre. She has also worked as a freelance journalist and magazine editor.
@Elliot_Laura
lauraelliotauthor
www.lauraelliotauthor.com