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Chloe
She wanted a man in her life. Now she has four.
It was her godmother’s last wish…
How could she possibly say no?
When Chloë Cadwallader’s beloved godmother Jocelyn dies, she leaves her a letter instructing her to give up her job (rubbish) and her boyfriend (ditto) to travel the four countries of the United Kingdom during the four seasons of the year. Clutching a letter marked ‘Wales’, Chloë ventures to a farm deep in the Black Mountains where she comes across the best looking man she’s ever laid eyes on.
And as the seasons unfold, so too does Chloë’s journey. From Abergavenny to St Ives, from the Giant’s Causeway to the shores of Loch Lomond, join her as she discovers love, lust, life – and, just possibly, a man for all seasons.
A Personal Note from Freya
I started this, my second novel, before I even had an agent, never mind a contract, for my first novel, Sally. It was half-written when I finally landed my first deal. The money coming in meant I could continue the book by embarking on my first research trip. I flew to Northern Ireland in early February 1996 – ironically, on the day of the IRA bus bombing in Aldwych. I stayed in County Antrim and tootled about by myself, truly feeling I was following in my character’s footsteps. Soon after that, I continued my research with a trip down to north Cornwall. I remember it was snowing – and snow replaced sand on the beach, right up to the water’s edge. Chloe was the first of my novels to make it into the Sunday Times Top 10. My editor had the chart framed – and it has pride of place on my study wall to this day. Jasper and Peregrine in this book were actually based on two aged geldings I knew!
What happened next to Chloe
Those of you who read Polly would know that Chloë and William are blissfully unmarried and have a toddler called Genevieve. Jack arrived 4 months ago weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs 10 oz. Genevieve tried to put him in the tumble dryer but luckily William came into the kitchen at the same time as Genevieve was wondering how on earth she could bend her baby brother so he would fit.
William’s pottery has been terrifically successful, though Barbara the goat head-butted her way into the studio and smashed three pieces waiting to be glazed.
In Wales, the Gin Trap, with whom Chloë stayed at the start of her year’s travelling, is organising a millennium pony trek with the help of hunky New Zealander Carl, who has returned from an epic European trip in his orange camper van. Carl and Chloe have not met again, though they’ve spoken on the phone and both reminisce privately and wistfully of the time they had together, especially in the orange camper van. Carl thinks he’ll spend a few more months in Wales before heading off to pastures new.
In Ireland, Gus’s sculpture park has received much critical acclaim. Ronan, who did unmentionable things to Chloë on a block of Kilkenny limestone, has gone to Italy to learn the ways of Michelangelo and the wiles of the Venetian beauties.
In Scotland, Fraser’s gay guesthouse is fully booked all year round. He falls in and out of love as often as he changes the sheets and regales Chloë with technicolour detail on a weekly basis, for at least an hour.
Jasper and Peregrine still live in Jocelyn’s house in London, Jasper’s knees are giving him “frightful gyp” and because of this, he is giving Peregrine “a frightful headache”.
Chloë still has 3 Penbeagle Street and Mr and Mrs Andrews (whose noses were terribly out of joint when they were overlooked as suitable godparents to Genevieve and Jack) still preside over proceedings there.