Fox Halt Farm
Opening on a cliff edge, Billy finds herself alone and betrayed. She believes everyone and everything she loves is threatened. Richard’s world is aglow with wealth, love and unswerving family loyalty but then his perfect life crosses Billy’s. He could save Billy, her beloved dairy cows and Fox Halt Farm but this young woman isn’t in the mood to be rescued.
Nothing will stay the same. Should they trust each other? Will their secrets tear their lives apart?
Fox Halt Farm is hard to put down. The story cracks along and you are caught up in Celia Moore’s vivid storytelling from the start. If you love novels by Jill Mansell, Fiona Valpy, Lucinda Riley, Maeve Binchy and Danielle Steel you will love this novel too!
Fox Halt on a £1.99 promotion until 12th April 2019
Excerpt
This excerpt describes Billy’s first visit to Culmfield:
“… The place was
magnificent. I meant was, because I imagine about twenty years ago, it would
have been the party capital of the South West. However, the death of Jessie’s
mum and the extravagance of her father and Dennis, his lover, took its toll.
When Dennis died, her father became a recluse and everything on the estate has
been neglected since.
Despite
its rundown state, this is love at first sight for me – I adore the house, with
its twisted brick chimneys and heavy oak doors. Nothing matches, every window
is a slightly different shape, and each wooden gable is carved with a unique
and intricate knot design. It is very grand but its lack of symmetry makes it
feel friendly.
The
first thing I notice is that one of the chimneys has collapsed and the resultant
hole in the roof is covered up with a patchwork of torn tarpaulins.
As
we step inside the formerly impressive Culmfield House, I pull my coat tight
around me, as it seems colder inside than out. The external walls are just the
thickness of single bricks and there is no central heating. Jessie laughs at
me. ‘Seeing you all huddled up like that, reminds me of growing up here. I used
to stomp around these rooms with a portable heater in tow trying to keep warm.’
‘Yes,
this place wasn’t built to keep heat in, was it?’ Michael says, as he points to
the beautiful granite mullioned windows. The expansive single sheets of glass
let in more coldness.
‘A
never-ending fire in every fireplace would have been the only way to make this
place warm,’ Jessie laughs. ‘That never happened, well, not that I remember.’
As
we explore the house, I sketch a plan of the rooms, making notes. We reckon we
can sit twenty-five people max, in the largest room, so marquees will be needed
for the big day. The gardens are extensive with enormous areas of flat lawn;
untidy and overgrown at the moment, but still, there is plenty of room.
‘Let’s
see the chapel, next,’ Jessie says.
I
nod, happy to go outdoors again for a moment to warm up.
‘Yes,
come on,’ Michael agrees, marching us outside. ‘The chapel belongs to the
house, it’s just across the courtyard.’
The
church is a shock. I know this is the place where Michael and Jessie want the
actual marriage ceremony to be held. This building is in a much worse state
than the house.
There
have been leaks everywhere and some of the timbers from the rotting domed
ceiling lie on the floor. We walk in paint shavings reminding me of snow, but
the flakes of debris crunch under our feet like fallen leaves.
‘You’ve
got to change the venue, or at least the date,’ I say, as I kick up some paint
and dust. ‘It will take months and months to sort this. Maybe a couple of
years.’
‘Not negotiable, Billy,’ Jessie says…”Author Bio –
Celia Moore (1967-now) grew up on a small farm near Exeter. She had a successful career as a Chartered Surveyor working in the City of London before working her way back to Devon. In 2000, she left the office to start a new adventure as an outdoor instructor, teaching rock climbing and mountaineering. Today she gardens for a few lovely customers, runs and writes (accompanied at all times by a border terrier x jack russell called Tizzy). She is running the London Marathon in April 2019 for three cancer charities.
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