Read Secrets of the Tides for Free Online

should keep for Cassandra until she’s a little older. It’s in my handbag, there.’ Daphne indicated that Helen should open the bag and Helen reached across and pulled out a tiny leather jewellery box. She carefully undid the clasp and there inside, nestled on black velvet, was an exquisite antique brooch in the shape of a butterfly. The body of the insect was made from the finest gold filigree and encrusted with tiny diamonds while the wings were formed from delicate sheets of shimmering mother-of-pearl. Helen held it up to the light, twisting and turning it so that the diamonds dazzled under the harsh hospital lights.
    ‘It’s beautiful.’
    ‘Isn’t it. It’s the first piece of jewellery Alfred ever gave me. It belonged to his grandmother. Now I’d like Cassandra to have it – my first grandchild. Will you keep it for her?’
    ‘Of course.’ Helen looked up at Daphne and smiled. ‘Thank you, it’s very kind.’
    ‘Yes, well . . .’ Daphne looked around, suddenly embarrassed. ‘Where on earth can those chaps have got to? It can’t take that long to find a coffee machine in this place, can it?’
    Helen had carefully secreted the tiny jewellery box into her own bag before reaching out to reclaim her baby.
    Eighteen months later, Dora had been born, and with the second arrival of the new generation of Tides came a deeper confirmation of Helen’s place within the family. Daphne and Alfred doted on their granddaughters and Helen only had to look at their faces to know she was, in part, forgiven for the ‘entrapment’ of their son. Yet twelve years on and Helen still never felt completely comfortable visiting the elegant old house. She still wandered through the rooms and hallways, unsure of her place within its walls, never truly feeling part of the Tide family, and, if she were being really honest with herself, never really feeling quite good enough for Daphne’s perfect, blue-eyed boy.
    ‘There it is!’ exclaimed Richard, breaking through her memories. He pointed to a sparkling wash of ocean in the distance. ‘There’s the sea, girls; and look, the sun’s coming out.’
    Dora leaned forward, pushing against the back of Helen’s seat. ‘I see it!’
    Helen saw it too, and even though she wasn’t particularly looking forward to the holiday, she couldn’t fail to feel her spirits lift at the sight of the spectacular emerald-green valley of fields and forest sprawling down the hillside to meet the sea. She rolled down her window and let the fresh spring air wash over her. London suddenly seemed a long, long way away.
    ‘Nearly there,’ said Richard, navigating the car through twisting lanes lined with hedgerows bursting with primroses and wild daffodils, his foot heavy on the accelerator. Just a few hundred yards later they were crunching their way up the long driveway towards Clifftops.
    It stood there, as it had for well over a hundred years, gleaming white against the pale blue sky and wholly unchanged since Helen’s first visit. As they approached, Helen could see the arched front door had been thrown open, and in its shadow stood Daphne and Alfred, side by side, waiting patiently to greet their guests. Helen wondered how they knew; did they stand there for hours, waiting for them to appear at the end of the driveway? The thought made her smile.
    Richard saw the curve of her lips and patted her hand encouragingly. ‘Your palace awaits,’ he said, addressing Cassie and Dora over his shoulder.
    As soon as they pulled up beside the front steps Dora leapt out of the car and raced towards her grandparents. ‘Grandma! Granddad! We’re here!’ She hurled herself into Alfred’s waiting arms and shrieked with delight as he swung her up into the air.
    ‘Your father’s going to put his back out one of these days,’ muttered Helen to Richard, as she watched Alfred spin Dora about his waist. ‘She’s getting too big for that.’
    ‘Oh let him have his fun,’ said Richard gently.
    It seemed