Impossible to forget, p.34
Impossible To Forget,
p.34
And Romany looked as though she felt special. And loved. She hadn’t stopped smiling for a second and she kept looking around at them each in turn as if she couldn’t quite believe that they were all there celebrating together.
‘Thanks everyone,’ she said now. ‘But I couldn’t have done it without you lot on my team.’
Smiles slipped a little then. It was hard not to think of Angie in that moment.
‘Your mum would have been so very proud of you,’ Maggie managed to say before her throat began to constrict. ‘She loved you so much and all she ever wanted was for you to be happy.’
Romany started to cry, fat tears rolling down her pretty face.
‘I’ve done her proud, haven’t I?’ she asked, looking round at them for confirmation.
‘God, yes,’ said Tiger. He reached over and swept Romany into his arms. She looked so small as she leant into him, her head resting on his chest. ‘She’d be so proud of you, my darling girl. You have no idea.’
Romany peeled herself away from Tiger and wiped her tears with the flat of her hand.
‘My turn for a speech,’ she said. ‘I want to say thank you. To you all. I admit that when we first read that letter, I thought it was the stupidest idea ever. I was so angry with Mum for dying and then for saddling me with you lot, especially you, Tiger.’ She pulled a sheepish face, and he rolled his eyes. ‘But now I can see that Mum knew exactly what she was doing. You’ve all been so great, helping me through this year. And it’s lovely to have you in my life, Daniel.’ She looked up at him shyly and he nodded. ‘That wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for Mum and her plan.’
She tipped her head to the sky and spoke to the heavens. ‘Thanks, Mum,’ she said, toasting the fluffy clouds.
Maggie wasn’t sure she could keep her emotions in check for much longer. She blinked hard to stop the tears.
‘And I know I’m not supposed to need my guardians any more,’ Romany continued, ‘but please don’t abandon me just yet. I don’t know anything about anything, not really. And I’ll definitely need you all in the holidays, so please can you stick around for a bit longer?’
‘Just you try shaking us off,’ replied Tiger, smiling so fondly at her that Maggie wanted to rush over and hug him.
They drained their glasses and Daniel opened another bottle. Romany told them all about the college at Durham and what she knew about her halls of residence, and Maggie listened and watched as the excitement came off her in waves. She’s just like we were, Maggie thought. So young and enthusiastic and ready to take on the world. If Angie had been here, then it would all have been so perfect. But then, she thought, if Angie had been here it was unlikely that they would all be standing here celebrating together.
Another wave of tears was about to crash over her and so, not wanting to dampen the mood, Maggie wandered away from the group to look at the garden. It was planted exclusively in shades of green and white, which complemented the slate grey of the hard landscaping, but a flash of red and iridescent blue caught her eye. It was a peacock butterfly fluttering from flower to flower, a tiny buzz of vibrant colour against the pale background. Maggie had never believed in anything even vaguely supernatural, but maybe she could make an exception, just this once.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The trigger for this book was a conversation that I overheard. People really should be careful when they chat – you never know who might be listening! However, I hope that the book that emerged from that initial spark of interest would no longer be recognisable by the original storyteller.
When I began writing in January 2020 the world was still looking relatively normal. By the time the manuscript went to my editor, we had been locked in our homes due to the coronavirus pandemic for several months and life had become very different. Whilst I managed to visit York in the early part of the year, all other research had to be done from my desk using the power of the internet and my imagination, so please forgive any geographical errors that I might have made.
As ever, there are people to thank. My editor at Amazon Publishing, Victoria Pepe, is always wonderfully supportive of me and my ideas and this book has been no exception. Thank you, Victoria for always being in my corner. Thanks also to Sammia Hamer and Hannah Bond who worked with me on this one too. It was a pleasure. In addition, I owe a big thank you to Celine Kelly who never fails to improve my books through her skilful and good-humoured guidance. The wonderful team at Amazon Publishing is huge and I’m always reluctant to list names in case I miss anyone out by accident. Suffice to say they are all never less than positive and cheerful and it is a joy to work with them all.
Finally, to my family. The family unit, in all its many guises, is at the root of my books and I am blessed that my own is so very supportive of everything I try to do. Thank you to you all.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2020 Karen Ross Photography
Bestselling author Imogen Clark writes contemporary book club fiction.
Her first three novels have all reached the number one spot in the UK Kindle store and her books have also been at the top of the charts in Australia and Germany. Where the Story Starts was shortlisted for Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year, 2020, at the RNA Awards.
Imogen initially qualified as a lawyer, but after leaving her legal career behind to care for her four children, she returned to her first love – books. She went back to university to study English Literature whilst the children were at school, and then tried her hand at writing novels herself.
Her great love is travel and she is always planning her next adventure. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband and children.
If you’d like to get in touch then please visit her website at www.imogenclark.com, where you can sign up to her monthly newsletter. Imogen can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Imogen Clark, Impossible To Forget
