Destiny: A Heartwarming Story about Family, Love and Friendship

By Patricia Dixon

The author of the popular Destiny novels returns to French wine country for a heartwarming, life-changing Christmas in this delightful story collection.

Fans of Patricia Dixon’s Destiny series are once again carried off to the Loire Valley, this time for the holiday season, where we learn what life has in store for Anna and Daniel, Grace and Max, and Ruby and Rosie. Then, as a special holiday treat, Patricia Dixon introduces a brand new family in the final story, A Christmas Tale.

Barbara and Ned are spending the festivities away from their children and rather unruly grandchildren, relaxing in their wintry countryside home whilst avoiding the hustle and bustle of Christmas in England. Despite escaping to France, both know they have a special task to perform, keeping a solemn promise and saying goodbye to loved ones, once and for all. This magical tale recaptures the innocence of childhood Christmases, embracing the spirit of the season and the precious gift of abiding love.

Destiny was previously published under the title Return Journeys.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Nov 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9781504070058

Patricia Dixon

Patricia Dixon lives in Manchester and is an international best-selling author of eighteen novels. She writes across genres including women’s fiction, historical fiction and psychological literary fiction. Her stories are often set in her home city and the Loire. Both places are close to her heart and from where she gathers inspiration for her characters and tales. In May 2017 she signed with Bloodhound Books, leading fiction publishers.

Book preview

Destiny

Destiny

Patricia Dixon

Bombshell Books

Copyright © 2019 Patricia Dixon

The right of Patricia Dixon to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First published in 2019 by Bombshell Books

Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publisher or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental

www.bombshellbooks.com

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Print ISBN 978-1-913419-16-5

Contents

Also by Patricia Dixon

Foreword

No More Yesterdays

A Change of Plan

From the Mouths of Babes

A Christmas Tale

Acknowledgements

About the Author

A note from the publisher

Love Women’s Contemporary Fiction?

Also by Patricia Dixon

Rosie & Ruby

Anna

Tilly

Grace

♥

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Over My Shoulder

They Don’t Know

Death’s Dark Veil

For Marlene

Remembering happy times

It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.

― William Shakespeare

Foreword

The Goddess Destiny

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Destiny is a strong character who is deeply humane, as well as acutely sensitive and extraordinarily intuitive. She is capable of great inspiration and creativity.

As a little girl, Destiny is adorable and very endearing, eager to please. It only takes an upheaval or dissension to knock her off kilter, and become lost in her inner world of daydreams.

Destiny cultivates her ideology. Her remarkable inner strength allows her to take an interest in the social sciences, spirituality and the occult.

When it comes to love, Destiny has a sentimental and romantic soul who tends to idealise her sweetheart by putting him on a pedestal, with the risk of disappointment that this entails. She is quite feminine, and motherhood is likely to bring her great fulfilment.

Destiny can achieve tremendous success. She could choose a career as a teacher, psychologist, sociologist, counsellor, social worker, children´s nurse, midwife or devoted secretary..., artist, musician..., astrologist, or medium... religion or an occupation of a philanthropic or voluntary nature, or even a career in politics.

Of course, Destiny could simply decide to dedicate herself to her family and would make a loving and attentive mother.

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This book is for Goddesses’ everywhere. It takes us back to France to find out what Destiny had in store for our very own superwomen, Rosie and Ruby, Anna, Tilly and Grace.

No More Yesterdays

Anna was in a trance, focusing on her image in the mirror, feeling somewhat detached, lost in the land of limbo. The slow strokes as she brushed her hair didn’t soothe her troubled mind or distract it from that which threatened to ruin her wedding day. Sighing, Anna replaced the brush before unscrewing the lid of the hand cream which she then smoothed into her skin, hoping to massage her woes away.

It occurred to her that maybe she should just get it over with, succumb to the inevitable and allow Matthew back into her life, just for a short while. No matter how hard she’d tried to avoid what she knew would entail an uncomfortable walk down memory lane, his spirit, or whatever it was, had been hanging around for days now. No wonder she was tense.

She imagined him to be sullen and moody as he stalked along behind her, demanding attention, insisting he made himself heard, determined not to be forgotten. Anna wasn’t unnerved by this strange sensation. After reasoning against a visitation from the afterlife she had settled on the notion it was merely her own conscience that as usual came calling at the most inconvenient of times. Maybe it was natural, on the eve of your second wedding to reminisce about the first but now Anna wished she’d capitulated and faced her demon.

♥

The previous evening as she lay under the elegant framework of their four-poster bed, while Daniel slept beside her, snoring gently and oblivious to her meanderings, Anna’s battle with the past waged on. They had refused to be parted on the eve of their wedding, neither believing in old wives’ tales and bad luck. Or so Anna had thought.

In the silence of the room, as the light from the moon cast shadows onto the walls, Matthew had crept up on her once again. Here, in an unguarded moment she had allowed a snapshot of a tiny church on a rainy day in Portsmouth to invade her brain. Simply out of loyalty to the wonderful man she loved now, and determined to banish any portents of doom, Anna stubbornly refused to take even a glimpse at the album of grainy images. Instead she scrunched her eyes tight shut and willed sleep to arrive.

Turning on her side, Anna tried not to compare what she had now to that which was lost or, be persuaded to negotiate with a ghost who had let her down so badly. In doing so Matthew had forfeited the right to make her feel even one ounce of guilt at moving on. The thing was, no matter how hard she tried, the memory of the blushing bride and handsome man refused to be banished. Instead she saw two people very much in love and yet, despite their solemn vows, all of Anna’s hopes and dreams were shattered by Matthew’s infidelity. What hurt even more and was tainting the happiness Anna knew she deserved, before they had a chance to put things right, he was gone. Their story was over.

♥

Anna shook her head, as if to scatter the residue of so many wasted thoughts. A new day had dawned, bringing with it golden rays of spring sunshine. They flooded the room causing the ornate dresser, where Anna sat, to sparkle. Hating the maudlin feeling that washed over her as she unzipped her make-up bag, she wished the shards of light would bounce off and ignite her faltering heart.

Seated amongst the opulent furnishings Anna felt like royalty, albeit a rather ungrateful member of some doomed French family. The grand, three-mirrored affair of polished walnut had probably been used by the French Comtesse whose painting hung in the gallery downstairs. It was now scattered with twenty-first century cosmetics belonging to the bride-to-be and so far removed from the tatty wooden dressing table she’d used all those years ago. If Anna closed her eyes, she could be sitting in the box room of her mother’s suburban semi, preparing to marry Matthew. Now, in what seemed like a blink of an eye, she was about to start another chapter and make a new life with Daniel.

Anna gazed at her reflection and studied the face of what she hoped was a wiser woman. It was so different to that of the nineteen-year-old from many moons ago, whose main concern was hiding the growing swell of a pregnant stomach underneath her hired wedding dress. How innocent and trusting she had been, just like the new life that had been curled inside her, like a secret guest at her wedding. It was the thought of Joe and how much joy he had brought them that opened Anna’s heart. In that moment she wanted to remember, to go back to that day and spend it with Matthew again. Just one more time, one last look.

♥

Smiling, Anna recalled the day they’d plucked up the courage to tell Enid (her indomitable mother) that she was going to be a grandma. Both Anna and Matthew had expected recriminations. Instead, her normally brusque mum had hugged her nervous, very red-faced daughter and congratulated the father-to-be, then set off full steam ahead to arrange a wedding.

It hadn’t been a fancy affair and Anna had cried secret tears of disappointment that the silk dress she’d always dreamed of was substituted by a synthetic creation. Polyester had been miraculously woven to produce a shiny satin effect that caused static when she moved. After trudging from one shop to another, they found it in the ‘best of a bad job’ selection. Jeannie, Anna’s best friend and only bridesmaid had scoured the rental rail in the hope of finding something wonderful, a hidden gem amongst the pre-loved dresses. Despite Jeannie’s forced enthusiasm, Anna had to settle for something plain and simple, which the assistant tactfully reworded as flattering and tasteful. In truth, it was concealing and cheap.

They’d decided to keep the impending birth to themselves for a while, informing only Matthew’s parents about the baby who, on hearing the news were stoical rather than supportive. In truth, the things they didn’t say or do, spoke volumes. It was a theme that continued during her married life. The lack of support following Matthew’s death, along with the resounding silence regarding his infidelity, finally nailed the coffin shut on Anna’s relationship with her distant in-laws.

Matthew’s parents had even turned their noses up at the wedding reception. There was a three-course meal at a local hotel. Nothing fancy: a slice of melon tarted up with a glacé cherry, followed by a lovely roast chicken dinner and apple pie. There had been a disco afterwards and a buffet of sandwiches and sausage rolls, all paid for by Enid from her savings, at her insistence.

That day, so long ago, when the shy newlyweds were toasted with half-pints of pale ale or, at best, a glass of cream sherry, was a world away from the sumptuous feast the hotel would be serving later that day. Daniel had insisted on a veritable gourmet experience, free-flowing champagne and the finest wines at dinner where they would be accompanied by a string quartet and, just for the hell of it, an elegant swan carved from ice.

She had no idea why her in-law’s coolness towards her still hurt, because Anna had tried so hard to be the perfect wife and mother to Matthew and their three children. They had almost reached their silver milestone; were within touching distance of it. Twenty-five years of being patient, understanding, forgiving and faithful (if only on Anna’s part). Even with all that history: moving into their first home, the happiest of times amongst the blips,