Journey’s End

Journey’s End
Josephine Cox

Following the fortunes of some of the much-loved characters from her bestseller ‘The Journey’, Josephine Cox’s powerful novel spans continents, decades and generations of one family.Like a ghost from the past, she walked along the platform towards them…It has been over twenty years since Vicky Maitland set foot on English soil. Twenty years since she left Liverpool with her three children, bound for a new life in America, leaving her beloved husband Barney behind.But this long journey home is the hardest of all. She is here in search of the truth, afraid of what she may find. Why did Barney turn against his family so suddenly, so cruelly? Only her old friend Lucy Baker knows what happened. And Lucy promised Barney she would never tell his secret. Is it time she broke her silence and explained the events of so long ago?

JOSEPHINE COX

Journey’s End

COPYRIGHT (#ulink_a33b8dc8-0100-53c5-bbe1-0c0fe44509a1)

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.

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published in Great Britain by

HarperCollinsPublishers 2006

Copyright © Josephine Cox 2006

Josephine Cox 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

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HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication.

EBook Edition © MARCH 2012 ISBN 9780007369690

Version: 2017-08-10

PRAISE (#ulink_3df337a4-f8d9-5c3d-8cc5-e315948f644e)

Once in a while we are blessed with the friendship and love of someone who is uniquely special. When I was an infant and my mother gave birth to her fifth baby boy, I loved him from the moment I saw him; as we all did. She named him William, but he was always known to us as Billy.

Small and sturdy, with the funniest, most mischievous little smile, he was a rascal from the start. He grew up to be a fine man, with high principles and a fierce passion for family. He was at times infuriating, aggravating, bossy, but immensely lovable. He was our Billy, one of us and we all respected and loved him, without reservation.

A short time ago we celebrated his sixtieth birthday; it was a wonderful evening, with everyone there and our Billy in the midst of it all, laughing, teasing, innocently flirting, showing off his beloved grandchildren and happy to be with family and friends.

A short time later, he fell ill and, with very little warning, was all too quickly gone from us. With the memories of his birthday party still strong in our minds, we found ourselves mourning the loss of a much loved and very precious man.

God bless you, Billy boy, and keep you safe until we meet again. We’ll talk about you and love you, and keep you proud in our hearts.

Most of all, we’ll miss you desperately, our one and only Billy. There will never again be anyone like you.

DEDICATION (#ulink_b8f40059-6044-5cec-ad41-2bc9280bc731)

This book is for my Ken as always

CONTENTS

COVER (#uc88cc0b6-83d7-56eb-89e1-75effcba02ec)

TITLE PAGE (#u9b488f20-3327-5cdf-bee4-4bf2f95374f3)

COPYRIGHT (#ua728cd11-1d95-5351-bd6b-20e3c2b1aa29)

PRAISE (#ubc8759eb-6bf8-52ab-bc6c-bebd9c4f7c43)

DEDICATION (#u7cb28455-881b-5f58-9046-ae2c9bb3932a)

PART ONE (#u3ac6ae64-df22-5ba4-b923-197dc5ab93c5)

CHAPTER ONE (#u46518517-314a-5cbf-9718-6034de5bbb8e)

CHAPTER TWO (#u1f00cd38-8978-5774-99ae-2058a5865865)

CHAPTER THREE (#uccca0b41-5691-5f3f-b74d-65417d216080)

CHAPTER FOUR (#u7eeddfdc-f612-5921-8d93-cca5b641aaac)

CHAPTER FIVE (#u3f23b46a-cc0f-5b8b-b13e-c91621860aa9)

CHAPTER SIX (#u34008a43-858c-51bf-a84a-ffdb9a2edfb0)

CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

PART TWO (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)