Things They Never Said:

THINGS THEY NEVER SAID An emotional, uplifting romance LINDA MIDDLETON Choc Lit A Joffe Books company www.choc-lit.com This edition first published in Great Britain in 2023 © Linda Middleton This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The spelling used is British English except where fidelity to the author’s rendering of accent or dialect supersedes this. The right of Linda Middleton to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. We love to hear from our readers! Please email any feedback you have to: [email protected] Cover art by Berni Stevens Cover Design ISBN: 978-1-78189-528-3 CONTENTS Love Bargain Women’s Fiction? Acknowledgements 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 Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Epilogue Thank You About the Author Love Bargain Women’s Fiction? The Choc Lit Story A Selection of Books You May Enjoy Love Bargain Women’s Fiction? Join our mailing list and get bestselling women’s fiction and romance at bargain prices every week! Click here to join our mailing list and get bargain women’s fiction and romance! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @choc-lit To my family, with love. Firstly, to my parents, who have guided me steadfastly through life, especially to my father who is no longer with us. I hope I have made you both proud. Secondly, to my husband and two sons, for all the support you have given me while I have ignored you to find the time to write. Finally, to Sue, Ali, Gail and Julia, my online writer friends. I couldn’t have written this novel without you. Acknowledgements I would like to thank the Choc Lit team for their support, encouragement and belief in me as a writer. I am so lucky to have you as my publisher. Thank you to my wonderful editor whose keen eye for details helped to strengthen and shape this book. Thank you for your patience and your sound advice. Thank you to the amazing Choc Lit family for their ongoing support. It means a lot to me. Thank you also to my very talented book cover designer. Thank you to the Tasting Panel who said “yes” to the manuscript and made publication possible: Shona Nicolson, Kate Avetoomyan, Jenny Mitchell, Janice Butler, Liana Vera Saez, Tracy Kean, Emily Smeby, Lynda Adcock, Gill Leivers, Julie Lilly, Lorna Baker, Fran Stevens, Honor Gilbert, Brigette Hughes, Aileen Marsden, Jo Osborne, Donna Morgan, Laura Sumner, Dimitra Evangelou, Bee Master, Janet Avery and Hilary Brown. Thank you to everyone who has had faith that I could be a published author. It has been a long road, and without your support I may well have given up along the way. Chapter One Thank you for choosing this book. Join our mailing list and get bargain Kindle books from our bestselling Choc Lit authors every week! CLICK HERE TO GET MORE LOVELY BOOK DEALS ‘What’s wrong with them?’ Liz’s heart sank as Emma, her waitress, carried the tray of half-eaten puddings back into the kitchen. It had been the same all evening with the guests picking at the food she had cooked for them. It wasn’t just the apparent reflection on her cooking that appalled her, but also the waste. ‘It’s not the food,’ Emma reassured her. The gooey centres of the perfectly cooked chocolate fondants slid down the plates as they scraped the remains into the bin. ‘It’s the guests.’ ‘What’s wrong with the guests then?’ ‘All the women are models or wannabes. Allergic to food, I should imagine.’ Emma grimaced. ‘They probably haven’t had a decent meal between them in weeks.’ Liz winced as Emma’s comment conjured up uncomfortable memories. ‘The food was perfect. Stop beating yourself up.’ ‘Easy for you to say. It’s my career on the line if I don’t make this work.’ Liz had been thrilled when Tia McIntyre, a well-known interior designer, had asked her to cater for a dinner party in her luxurious Chelsea home. Tia lived the celebrity lifestyle, always being papped with the in-crowd and splashed across the glossies. Liz had only recently become a freelance private chef. Knowing that her business could live or die on word of mouth, she had hoped this would be her lucky break. Not much chance of that after tonight, though, she thought grimly. ‘Shall I take the coffee in?’ Emma asked. ‘Please, and then you can go. I’ll clean up here.’ ‘Don’t mind if I do. My feet are killing me tonight.’ ‘I’m not surprised, you’ve worked really hard.’ Liz was grateful to Emma, who was studying for a degree in hotel and catering management, but always tried to make herself available when Liz needed extra help. She continued with her final clear-up until the door to the kitchen opened, and Tia clicked across the tiled floor in six-inch heels. ‘Darling, dinner was divine.’ Despite the lateness of the hour, her client’s make-up was immaculate and her long, dark hair shimmied over her shoulders in glossy perfection. Liz knew her own face would be shiny from the heat of the kitchen and, feeling self-conscious, she brushed a strand of blonde hair, which had escaped her ponytail, away from her face. ‘Did you enjoy it?’ she asked, amazed that Tia hadn’t come to complain. ‘Absolutely! Especially the lamb. It simply melted in the mouth. And I could eat that fondant every day of the week, if