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Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for The House of Whispers
  3. Title Page
  4. Note to Readers
  5. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  13. Seven
  14. Eight
  15. Nine
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  19. Twelve
  20. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  21. Thirteen
  22. Fourteen
  23. Fifteen
  24. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  25. Sixteen
  26. Seventeen
  27. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  28. Eighteen
  29. Nineteen
  30. Twenty
  31. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  32. Twenty-One
  33. Twenty-Two
  34. Twenty-Three
  35. Twenty-Four
  36. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  37. Twenty-Five
  38. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  39. Twenty-Six
  40. Twenty-Seven
  41. Twenty-Eight
  42. Twenty-Nine
  43. Thirty
  44. Thirty-One
  45. Thirty-Two
  46. Thirty-Three
  47. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  48. Thirty-Four
  49. Thirty-Five
  50. Thirty-Six
  51. Thirty-Seven
  52. Thirty-Eight
  53. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  54. Thirty-Nine
  55. Forty
  56. Forty-One
  57. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  58. Forty-Two
  59. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  60. Forty-Three
  61. Forty-Four
  62. Forty-Five
  63. Forty-Six
  64. Forty-Seven
  65. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  66. Forty-Eight
  67. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  68. Forty-Nine
  69. Fifty
  70. Fifty-One
  71. Fifty-Two
  72. Fifty-Three
  73. Fifty-Four
  74. Fifty-Five
  75. Fifty-Six
  76. Fifty-Seven
  77. Fifty-Eight
  78. Fifty-Nine
  79. Sixty
  80. Priory Hospital North London: 20 December 2019
  81. Acknowledgements
  82. About the Publisher

Rohan sighed and put his fork down. ‘Abs, what’s bothering you because… I can’t get through to you. I’ve been so excited to come back and see you. I’ve been counting the days but it’s as if you just don’t care. This is supposed to be date night, for Christ’s sake, but…’ He shrugged and sat back in his seat. ‘What’s the point?’

‘I’m sorry. I’m just…’

‘Just what?’

I gave a little laugh. ‘It’s just… “date night”. It’s such a cliché. So parochial. Middle-aged. Grace would die laughing if she could see us doing this.’

‘It’s not so bad,’ Rohan said. ‘It gets us out together, and that’s a good thing, right?’

‘It’s forced romance,’ I scoffed. ‘As if you can force romance. Like, everyone here probably sees us and thinks: oh, he’s brought his wife here to get her “in the mood” – they’ll have their perfunctory once-a-week marital shag when they get home. Grace wouldn’t be seen dead on a date night,’ I snorted. ‘It’s ridiculous when you think about it. Isn’t it?’

Rohan was looking at me in a way I’d never seen before. ‘I’ll get this packed to go,’ he said.

Forty

As if determined to prove Grace right, I made a move on Rohan when we got home. We’d walked down Albert Road in silence, the weight of his disappointment lying on me like a lead blanket. I was a failure, useless, a disappointment to my husband.

Inside the house, he went straight to the kitchen to put the food in the fridge while I took off my coat slowly in the hallway then, when he came back out, I slid my arms around his ribs, pushed myself up against him and kissed him, lightly at first but then harder, but he remained impassive, his lips rigidly closed under mine; his hands resolutely by his side.

I stepped back with a sigh of frustration; failed again. Pathetic. ‘I’m really sorry about dinner.’

Rohan ran a hand through his hair and I saw now that he looked shattered, his eyes small, and ringed by dark circles, his skin feathered with fine lines and I remembered that, of course, he’d flown overnight from New York.

‘We’re both tired,’ he said. ‘You’re right. We shouldn’t have tried to “force romance” tonight. Let’s just go to bed. Tomorrow’s another day.’

‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Agreed. Tomorrow’s another day, and it will be better.’ I pushed down the thought of the family lunch I’d have to endure. ‘Thank you. And darling? I’m glad you’re back.’