Chapters (82)
- Cover
- Praise for The House of Whispers
- Title Page
- Note to Readers
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Twelve
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Twenty-Five
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Forty-Two
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Forty-Eight
- Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Priory Hospital North London: 20 December 2019
- Acknowledgements
- About the Publisher
My mouth fell open. ‘Can I remind you that you’re the one who’s been away living it up in New York? Maybe it’s you who’s changed. Maybe I’ve always been like this.’
‘And anyway,’ Rohan continued as if I hadn’t spoken, ‘the least she could have done was to be here. I’m paying for her life at the moment – it would have been nice if she could have stayed to say hello.’
‘Oh my God,’ I said. ‘You want her to grovel at your feet? Jesus, Rohan, take a look at yourself. What kind of God complex do you have? I told her to go. I wanted you all to myself this weekend.’ Tears pricked at my eyes. ‘Fat lot of good that’s done. I needn’t have bothered!’ I turned and stormed back up the stairs.
‘Abi!’ Rohan shouted. ‘Don’t be so ridiculous! Come back here now!’
I didn’t. And neither did he come after me.
Forty-Five
I stormed up to the attic, my feet thumping extra hard on every stair, anger still buzzing in my head. How dare he swan off to New York and then complain about how I live my life while he’s away? That was the thing about Rohan: yes, he was understanding, sensitive, in touch with his feminine side and all that stuff, but he was also arrogant, and that side of him was rigid. My husband – like his mother – was never wrong. Yes, it was Rohan’s way or no way and, as long as I wanted what he did, things were fine. But when my view differed from his, things became bumpy. I might have my issues with Grace, but how dare he criticize her?
I thumped about in the bedroom, using my anger to tidy it. I picked up a dirty shirt, balled it up and flung it across the room with all my energy. It hit the wall with an unsatisfying flop.
‘How dare you? You’ve never even met her!’ I yelled.
I picked up more clothes, scrunched them into balls and flung them after the shirt, then I picked up Rohan’s slipper and hurled it at the wall followed by the other one. ‘It’s all right for you, living in your fancy flat in New York but I’m not allowed to have a life of my own!’ I yelled. ‘You want me to put my life on hold because you’re not here? Well, fuck that!’
There was a small knock at the door, then Rohan stuck his head around. ‘Have you seen Alfie, by the way? I can’t find him anywhere.’