Poison Heart (33 page)

‘Not any more,’ I answered carefully. ‘In a strange way … she kind of set me free.’

He put one finger across his lips. ‘She tried to kill you, Kat. She saw you as her enemy, remember?’

‘She was her own worst enemy,’ I quietly pointed out.
‘But you were right about one thing … she
was
only flesh and blood.’

Luke seemed confused by my sudden compassion. ‘Could you have saved her?’ he asked doubtfully. ‘From herself?’

I considered for a moment. ‘I’m not sure. Genevieve was so obsessive. She hated me, tried to rub out my life and then, finally, wanted us to be together.’

‘Together
forever
,’ Luke added darkly.

I gave a weak laugh. ‘Sometimes … I hear her calling my name.’

‘It still doesn’t make sense,’ he sighed.

I tried to explain because it was important that Luke of all people understood.

‘When we set out that day … I think she’d known it would end badly and she was prepared for it.’

Luke moved his head slightly as if he partly understood. ‘What about you, Kat? Where do you go from here?’

I clasped my arms behind my head and gave a rueful smile. I had no answer to this.

‘You haven’t changed,’ Luke insisted.

‘I haven’t changed,’ I echoed, ‘but everything around me has.’

His hand touched my shoulder. ‘You’re still the same inside, and you don’t need other people to tell you who you are.’

‘And … I can be whoever I want to be.’ A small shiver ran through me as I repeated Genevieve’s words. I bit my
lip. ‘Genevieve told me something … right at the end. That we put on these different faces for the world and never show our true nature.’

‘What did she mean?’

‘I think she was trying to tell me that no one knows what they’re really capable of until they’re tested.’

Luke slipped on his own sunglasses and grinned at me. ‘She could be right. Anyway, you’ll always have me. We make a good team, don’t we?’

‘Not exactly Starsky and Hutch,’ I laughed.

‘Rivers and Cassidy? Sounds like a couple of bank robbers.’

Our eyes locked and I leaned forward and gently kissed him on the lips, something I’d wanted to do again for ages. I thought how funny it was that we only seemed to kiss in graveyards. He smiled tenderly and wiped the last traces of tears from my cheek. Looking into Luke’s eyes felt like coming home and told me everything I needed to know about his feelings for me. For now we didn’t need to talk about what had changed between us; it was enough to be together.

There was a woman standing in the graveyard, clutching a single rose. She had altered in the last week, her face thinner and her eyes bruised, but there was a look of peace that I hadn’t seen before. I took a few steps towards her until we met where the pathway forked. We weren’t flesh and blood, but she was the only person I would ever call mother. We walked in comfortable silence. It was still
and oddly beautiful. The well-tended paths, the old and new graves which told of grief that was one unending cycle. Dying, crushed flowers were discarded in a metal bin close to fresh blooms still wet with tears. The dead would always be here with the living close by, and I was beginning to realize that the divide wasn’t as great as people thought. Luke was now by my side. He reached for my hand as we walked away.

A stupendously huge thank-you to everyone at Darley Anderson for their support, guidance and encouragement, especially the wonderful Madeleine Buston for her offer of representation. It came by email from a train travelling towards Dorchester on 2 April 2010. I was reeling with shock and elation then, and I still am now. Thank you for making my dreams come true.

Another massive thank-you to everyone at Quercus, especially Roisin Heycock, a superb editor who taught me so much (particularly about happy endings) and Talya Baker, a fantastic project manager. I feel very privileged that
Poison Heart
was given a home at Quercus – when I saw the cover for the first time I was completely blown away.

I’m also deeply grateful to my foreign publishers for the gift of translation and for taking my novel around the globe.

To all my family and friends who’ve had to endure my attempts at becoming an author – I couldn’t have done it if you hadn’t listened

And finally to Princy, the stray cat who wormed her way into my home and my heart, thank you for the inspiration of your beautiful green eyes.

Read an exclusive interview with the author on the
Quercus Blog
.