The Path to the Sea
'Atmospheric, emotional and full of mystery – an absolute pleasure from page one' Veronica Henry ‘The Queen of the contemporary Cornish novel’ The Guardian Sometimes going home is just the beginning… Boskenna, the beautiful, imposing house standing on the Cornish cliffs, means something different to each of the Trewin women. For Joan, as a glamorous young wife in the 1960s, it was a paradise where she and her husband could entertain and escape a world where no one was quite what they seemed – a world that would ultimately cost their marriage and end in tragedy. Diana, her daughter, still dreams of her childhood there – the endless blue skies and wide lawns, book-filled rooms and parties, the sound of the sea at the end of the coastal path – even though the family she adored was shattered there. And for the youngest, broken-hearted Lottie, heading home in the August traffic, returning to Boskenna is a welcome escape from a life gone wrong in London, but will mean facing a past she’d hoped to forget. As the three women gather in Boskenna for a final time, the secrets hidden within the beautiful old house will be revealed in a summer that will leave them changed for ever. The Path to the Sea beautifully evokes the mystery and secrets of the Cornish coast, and will be loved by fans of Kate Morton and Rachel Hore PRAISE FOR THE PATH TO THE SEA 'Atmospheric, emotional and full of mystery – an absolute pleasure from page one' Veronica Henry 'A wonderfully evocative story, packed with secrets and emotion’ Judy Finnigan ‘With wit and skill, Fenwick illuminates the small, often overlooked moments that shape and define a life. These are tales that draw you in and keep you engaged until the last page is turned’ Deborah Harkness ‘Evocative and compelling, a glorious tale of the choices women make for love. I adored it’ Cathy Bramley ‘Vivid and beautifully written, Liz Fenwick is a gifted storyteller’ Sarah Morgan ‘A warm and feelgood romance that will have you pining to feel sand beneath your feet’ Woman’s Weekly ‘Full of emotion and mystery’ HELLO! ‘Sweeping, romantic and gorgeously evocative of Cornwall’ BEST
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LIZ FENWICK was born in Massachusetts and after ten international moves she’s back in the United Kingdom with her husband and two mad cats. She made her first trip to Cornwall in 1989 and bought her home there seven years later. She’s a bit of a global nomad but her heart forever remains in Cornwall. For more information visit lizfenwick.com. Or find her procrastinating on Twitter @liz_fenwick
The Cornish House
A Cornish Affair
A Cornish Stranger
Under a Cornish Sky
A Cornish Christmas Carol
The Returning Tide
One Cornish Summer
An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019
Copyright © Liz Fenwick 2019
Liz Fenwick asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for 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, downloaded, 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.
Ebook Edition © June 2019 ISBN: 9780008290511
‘The queen of the contemporary Cornish novel’
The Guardian
‘Full of warmth, wisdom and compassion . . . Liz Fenwick’s writing is vivid, satisfying and descriptive’
Daily Express
‘Engrossing and romantic – a perfect holiday read’
Rachel Hore
‘Wonderfully intriguing and compelling . . . Together with Liz’s usual beautiful evocation of the Cornish scenery this was a brilliant read’
Barbara Erskine
‘Authentic and compelling . . . I loved it’
Rosanna Ley
‘As heartbreaking as it is absorbing . . . I read it in one day’
Kate Riordan
‘Intriguing, deeply felt and poignant’
Elizabeth Buchan
For the friend who has travelled the journey of my life, filling it with laughter, sharing the tears and the secrets, saving the memories and being an anchor when the waves of grief threatened to set me adrift.
Although we have chosen different paths, you remind me of the starting point and how far we have travelled. Great friendship doesn’t require proximity, just great love.
Thank you Christine.
Two roads diverge in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost, ‘The Road Not Taken’
Contents
3 August 2008, 11.30 p.m.
All was silent except for the sound of the waves reaching the beach. ‘Happy anniversary,’ he said.
Lottie frowned. ‘Anniversary?’ Turning, she tried to see his expression. ‘Are you taking the piss?’
He traced her mouth with his finger. ‘Would I do that?’
‘Yes.’
She felt rather than heard his laugh as his body was stretched out next to hers, thigh to thigh, hip to hip.
‘We’ve been together for a month and a half.’
‘So, we’re celebrating half months as well as months?’
He kissed her long and slow and she wasn’t sure what they had been talking about as his hand ran across the skin of her back, just above her jeans.
‘I celebrate every day, every minute, every second that you are mine.’
Her breath caught and held, and she looked up to the sky. The milky way stretched above, vast and mystical. She was captivated. The universe and all its glory filled her. Here on this beach, wrapped in his arms, was where she wanted to be always. It could happen if they wanted it enough and she believed they did.
‘Alex?’
‘Yes?’ His arm tightened around her.
‘Will . . .’ Just then a shooting star sped across the sky and seemed to fall into the sea. She wished with all her heart that she could be in Alex’s arms for the rest of her life. She rolled onto him. ‘Did you see it too?’
