Table of Contents
ONE LOST SOUL
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One Lost Soul
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
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First published by Hamilton Press in 2019
ONE LOST SOUL
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We learn through experience and we must never forget.
One Lost Soul
Hidden Norfolk - Book 1
J M DALGLIESH
Prologue
Holly was grateful for the shelter of the dunes. The wind had a habit of rattling along the coastline, sweeping across the flatlands and cutting through even the hardiest of winter clothing. Where they were sitting, beyond the thick pine forests of the Holkham estate, there was shelter of sorts. She watched the others building a fire on the beach below, gathering driftwood and any fallen branches scavenged from the nearby woods. In the summertime, the estate routinely sent groundskeepers out to ensure open fires were not set but not at this time of year. Early spring could be lovely on the Norfolk coast, bright sunshine, warming on the skin. As long as the prevailing wind wasn’t whipping in off the North Sea, at least. The sun had long since set and the chill of the evening was beginning to bite.
In a month or so, the tourist season would begin. All the local businesses running skeleton opening hours over the winter would be up and running once more. The seasonal workers would soon return, maybe. There was a lot of talk amongst the locals that this year would be different. Applications for job vacancies were down on last year and her father commented that even agencies were struggling to fulfil the roles.
It must be amazing to be one of those people with the freedom to travel beyond the confines of where they grew up, able to go to another country and experience different lifestyles and culture. The prospect of learning a new language, trying strange food or simply watching the sun set over an alien landscape was exciting, exotic. One day that would be her. Not that she could tell anyone, nor would she when the time came. She would vanish on the breeze, carried away by an unstoppable force. Maddie came to mind, watching her as she danced with her friends a short distance away. What will become of her when I leave? That last thought dampened her enthusiasm, tempering the future vision.
The fire was lit now. They were singing, the others. It wasn’t a song she cared for, not one she even knew the words to but it was popular. Their shadows danced on the sand around the fire as they moved, linking arms and singing louder as more voices joined in the chorus. Holly felt a hand on her shoulder. The touch was gentle. She didn’t look round. Mark slipped his arm across her shoulder, coming to sit alongside her on the blanket he’d laid out for them. Part of her wanted him to suggest they move closer to the flames. He didn’t and she knew why. He would no doubt try to slip his tongue into her mouth soon. To be fair, it was to be expected. The location, the fire, and their being alone, away from the others and sitting in the darkness made for quite a romantic setting. She would probably oblige.
Mark was a nice guy. Most of their year group steered clear of him but that was less to do with his outbursts and more to do with the family reputation. If she knew of anyone less deserving of such scorn, then it would be news to her. Releasing his grip on her shoulder, Mark retrieved a bottle from a plastic bag at his side and unscrewed the cap. He offered it to her first. She could smell the alcohol and it made her stomach churn. The waves of nausea were getting more frequent but she kept quiet. The last thing she needed was another lecture on visiting the doctor. How could she? The thought of drinking made her feel worse and she declined the offer. He said nothing, sipping from the bottle and pulling an odd face as the liquid burned his mouth. That was the issue with Mark. Immature.
The bonfire was well underway. The colours, the crackling of the wood and the spiralling wisps of smoke and flame dancing into the night sky with the waves crashing on the beach was somewhat hypnotic. Holly imagined her fears being consumed by the heat, with the glow at its heart a depiction of her dreams and fantasies. One day soon she would leave this place and everyone in it behind, travel somewhere where no one knew her and become an artist, make things… jewellery perhaps. All of this would be but a memory.
She felt Mark’s hand stroke the small of her back. Looking to him, he smiled. She said nothing, returning her gaze towards the bonfire and spying the whites of the breakers beyond as they approached the shoreline. Mark was a nice guy. Even so, he still couldn’t come with her. There was no place for him. There was no place for any of them.
Chapter One
The frosty chill of the dawn was now rapidly becoming a warm Saturday morning and Tom Janssen sat on the bonnet of his car, sipping his takeaway coffee and watching Saffy in the nearby play area. Only a couple of short months ago, she would have insisted he accompanied her to every piece of apparatus whether he could fit in, under,
