The Girl from Lace Island Read online

Jess stared at him, her mind racing over the implications of what he was saying. Of the colossal fallout he must have had to have faced. ‘Oh God. I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Are you?’ he said, looking alarmed. ‘Because personally, I think it’s the best, most brilliantly honest thing she’s ever said. It helps that she’s been offered this amazing job in America and is on her way there now. Uncovering the story of Lace Island totally put her on the map.’

  Jess could hardly take it in. How could he be so calm about it? ‘Wow.’

  ‘But there was another reason too,’ he said, stepping in and breathing deeply to catch his breath. ‘She said she couldn’t go through with it knowing that I’m in love with someone else.’

  There was a long moment and Jess felt her breath catch. ‘She did?’

  Suresh reached out and touched her hair. ‘Because I am in love. With you. I have been since the first second I saw you.’

  And as she was swallowed up in his eyes, Jess felt her heart filling up with sunshine and a new lightness, as if a heavy cloak she’d been carrying all this time had fallen away from her. An amazed laugh escaped her as she took in the palm trees against the bluest of skies and the whitest of sand, and she remembered the poster Angel had given her all those years ago.

  But best of all was that none of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was him. Just him. And the feeling, the feeling that she’d always wondered about. This joyful love that filled her now.

  ‘So you’ve got to tell me. Have I got the timing right this time?’ he asked, smiling at her, and she laughed, letting him take her in his arms, feeling like she might burst with happiness.

  ‘Yes. Your timing is perfect,’ she said. And then she kissed him.

  Acknowledgements

  This book wouldn’t be here without the exceptional team at Pan Macmillan, especially my wonderful editor Wayne Brookes. I’d like to thank everyone who works in editorial services and production, especially the lovely Eloise Wood, as well as the marketing and PR, digital and sales teams. The fabulous Jodie Mullish, Katie James and Stuart Dwyer make Pan Mac a joy to work with, and thank you to James Annal for his lovely cover.

  Thanks, as always, to the best agents in town, Vivienne Schuster and Felicity Blunt at Curtis Brown. And thank you to my dearest friends, who always support me through the writing process, especially my early readers Dawn Howarth, Bronwin Wheatley and Katy Whelan. Thanks also to Sally Hepburn for her tips on air crew training. And Emlyn, of course. For everything.

  This book is a story about mothers and daughters, and it is a theme that is very dear to my heart. During the writing of this book I lost both my mother-in-law, Anne Rees, and my own mum, Anne Lloyd. Both were inspirational women who helped me enormously, and I will miss them forever. It was my mum who started me on my writing journey when I was six and never stopped encouraging and supporting me. So as well as being dedicated to my beautiful daughter, Tallulah, this one is also for Mum, with my love and gratitude.

  Praise for Joanna Rees

  ‘If you like losing yourself in epic tales by the likes of Penny Vincenzi and Lesley Pearse, you’ll love this’

  Woman

  ‘Genuinely exciting, extremely well crafted and long enough to be perfect beach reading’

  Daily Express

  ‘A gripping tale’

  Glamour

  ‘It’s freakin’ ace. Pack it in your hand luggage and expect to spend a day of your summer hols reading . . . and refusing all food, drink and conversation’

  Heat

  ‘An ideal beach read’

  Books Monthly

  ‘A riveting rollercoaster of a tale, full of intrigue, high-stakes drama and compelling characters that will keep you hooked from beginning to end’

  Hello!

  The

  GIRL FROM

  LACE ISLAND

  Joanna Rees, aka Josie Lloyd and Jo Rees, is a bestselling writer of twelve novels, including rom-coms, blockbusters and big-hearted adventures such as Come Together, Platinum and A Twist of Fate. With nearly twenty years’ writing experience, Joanna regularly teaches creative writing in schools and libraries and runs a successful novel-editing business noveleditors.com. She also records regularly for Radio Gorgeous. Based in Brighton, Joanna is married to the author Emlyn Rees with whom she has three daughters. They have co-written seven novels, including the Sunday Times number one bestseller Come Together, which was translated into twenty-seven languages and made into a film. They have written three bestselling parodies of their favourite children’s books, including We’re Going on a Bar Hunt and The Teenager Who Came to Tea as well as a light-hearted activity book encouraging people to stop being addicted to their technology called Switch It Off. Joanna is always delighted to hear from readers, so please visit her website www.joannareesbooks.com. She’s also on twitter @joannareesbooks.

  BY JOANNA REES

  AS JOSIE LLOYD

  It Could Be You

  AS JOSIE LLOYD, WITH EMLYN REES

  Come Together

  Come Again

  The Boy Next Door

  Love Lives

  We Are Family

  The Three Day Rule

  The Seven Year Itch

  We’re Going on a Bar Hunt

  The Very Hungover Caterpillar

  The Teenager Who Came to Tea

  Switch It Off

  AS JO REES

  Platinum

  Forbidden Pleasures

  AS JOANNA REES

  A Twist of Fate

  The Key to It All

  The Girl From Lace Island

  Author’s Note

  This book was inspired by a family holiday to Kerala in 2012. Emlyn and I had taken our daughter Tallulah to India ten years previously when she was two, and I’d written a piece for a Sunday newspaper about backpacking with a toddler. (Emlyn took a potty and twenty-two cans of baked beans in his backpack, as that was all that Lula would eat!) We went back a decade later with all three of our girls to the same places, and although parts of Kerala had changed beyond recognition, it was just as magical as ever. Honestly, I would recommend a Keralan holiday to anyone. It’s called ‘God’s Own Country’ for good reason.

  It was when we were visiting a remote homestay and our fabulously eccentric hosts Laila and Jai offered us their ancient visitors book to sign, that I became entranced with the connection I felt to the strangers amongst the yellowing pages and the idea for The Girl From Lace Island was born. I must point out that Lace Island is entirely fictional, although there are many islands off the coast of Kerala. Any references to real places are entirely coincidental.

  First published 2016 by Pan Books

  This electronic edition published 2016 by Pan Books

  an imprint of Pan Macmillan

  20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR

  Associated companies throughout the world

  www.panmacmillan.com

  ISBN 978-1-4472-6665-5

  Copyright © Joanna Rees, 2016

  Cover design © Anne Glenn

  Cover Images © Anne Glenn and Shutterstock

  The right of Joanna Rees to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  Pan Macmillan does not have any control over, or any responsibility for, any author or third-party websites referred to in or on this book.

  You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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