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Chapters (60)
  1. CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEIGH RUSSELL
  2. Glossary of acronyms
  3. Prologue
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. Acknowledgements

‘Do you know whether Jessica was close to any other young mothers?’ Geraldine asked when they were seated on chintz armchairs in Mary’s neat little front room.

‘No one that I was aware of,’ the health visitor replied stiffly. ‘She seemed to want to keep herself very much to herself. She was a strange girl, really.’

This sounded promising, but when Geraldine pressed her for an explanation of her remark, Mary just repeated that Jessica kept to herself.

‘She was only interested in her baby,’ she added. ‘In fact, I’d say she was quite obsessed with her baby. Of course, that’s not uncommon in first time mothers. But –’ she hesitated. ‘She didn’t appear to have anything else in her life. I mean, she had a husband, and she saw a lot of her parents, although it didn’t sound as though they got on that well. She was very introverted; I suppose that’s what I’m trying to say. Introverted to an unusual degree.’

‘Would you say she was depressed?’

‘No, I wouldn’t say so. Not that I was aware of, anyway. But I did encourage her to get out and about and meet other mothers. It’s never a good idea to be isolated with a new baby, especially a first one. I suggested several groups to her, but she seemed very resistant to socialising.’ Mary frowned and fiddled with a button on her pale blue cardigan. ‘I tried more than once to persuade her to go to a mother and baby group. It would have been good for the baby as well as for her. But she simply wasn’t interested. She told me she had friends, but –’ she sniffed, ‘I didn’t altogether believe her. So I persisted and eventually she told me she had joined a group in a local church, but I think she said that just to placate me. Anyway, I decided it was best to leave her to sort herself out. Not everyone wants to be helped,’ she added sourly.

‘What church was it?’ Geraldine asked.

Mary shook her head. ‘I’m sorry?’

‘You said she joined a group in a local church. Did she mention which church she went to?’

‘I really can’t remember. There are so many. I don’t think she told me which one it was.’

‘Are you sure? Please, try to remember.’

But the health visitor shook her head. ‘No, I’m sorry. I have an excellent memory for these things, but I really don’t think she gave me the name. She was very private like that.’