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Back The House of Whispers
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

‘By the way, Moira called while you were upstairs,’ Rohan said mildly. I forced my hand to carry on with what it was doing: dipping the breadstick in the balsamic vinegar and oil I’d poured, swirling it about and guiding it to my mouth.

‘Oh?’ I said.

‘She wanted to ask “how you were”.’ He said it in quote marks.

‘Okay…’ I held Rohan’s gaze.

‘Abi, is there something you want to tell me?’

I closed my eyes while I tried to frame what I had to say. ‘Everything’s fine. I’m just taking a break from the hospice at the moment.’ Rohan waited for me to say more. ‘The painting was consuming me. I wasn’t as reliable as I needed to be. It’s an important job. I have responsibilities.’

‘Is that all it was?’ Rohan scratched his ear.

‘Yeah. Sometimes I probably looked a bit rough. If I’d pulled an all-nighter. Which I often did.’ I didn’t mention the times I’d woken up on the attic floor, having passed out through alcohol.

‘Presumably drinking?’ Rohan said.

I moved my head this way and that. ‘A bit.’

Rohan nodded slowly. ‘So everything’s fine? You’re just “on a break”? That’s all it is?’

‘Uh-huh. Moira’s a nurse. It’s her job to worry about people.’

‘But she doesn’t need to worry about you?’

‘No.’

‘And neither do I?’

‘No.’

‘Okay,’ he said way too mildly. ‘If you say so.’

Thankfully the waiter appeared then with our selection of small-plate starters balanced up his arms in a way that defied gravity. He indicated with a flick of his eyebrows and a grunt that we should make space on the table, then flung the dishes down with little care for presentation.

‘Anything else?’ He looked from me to Rohan and back – he’d made it clear a long time ago that he was not inclined to chat. I didn’t even know his name.

‘Just some hot sauce?’ Rohan said. ‘Tabasco if you have it. And crushed chillies?’

The waiter was across the restaurant in two strides and back with both and then we were alone with our food. I helped myself to some olives and a few pieces of deep-fried mini ravioli with a dollop of its accompanying arrabiata sauce.

Rohan broke the silence. ‘So does Grace have a boyfriend? A partner? Whatever you call it these days when it’s not a husband?’ he said, and my heart sank. Could we really not get away from her?