BooksBarbecue
Back The House of Whispers Save as PDF
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

‘Great.’ Rohan paused, swilled his wine again. ‘Of course, she mightn’t be in a hurry to move out…’ There was an edge to his tone. I put down the knife and looked at him.

‘Can you please give it a rest?’

He rubbed his brow. ‘Just be careful, Abs, that’s all.’

‘Yep. Being careful.’

‘I’m just worried about you. You’re my wife.’ Rohan dropped his voice. ‘And one day you’ll be the mother of my children, too – I hope.’

He held the words out to me, a jeweller displaying diamonds on a velvet tray, and I forced a flicker of a smile. Then I turned to the oven and looked through the glass at the food. Rohan got up and slipped his arms around me.

‘If you’re happy with Grace here, then I’m happy,’ he said. ‘I’m glad she’s here for you.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes, really.’

But what if I’m not?

Fifty

‘Hello! I’ve got news!’ Grace called as her bag thumped down in the hall. I slunk down the stairs, as if I hadn’t been watching from the attic window; as if I hadn’t been waiting for the sound of the taxi while I cut my wrist carefully, let the pressure out, and swirled the reds for the background of the painting – all the while thinking about how to broach the topic of Alfie. Should I just come straight out and ask her if she did it? And now something else, too: that familiar dread I used to feel when Grace came back to the flat in the old days, sliding through me like tentacles.

‘Me too!’ I said, stopping three stairs short of the bottom. Grace regarded me and widened her eyes. I was still in the dress I’d put on for Rohan, the fresh cut on my arm wrapped tight with bandage. She was a doctor. She wasn’t stupid. I slipped the arm behind my back.

‘Had a good time?’ I asked.

‘Yes! So much to tell you. How was your romantic weekend?’

‘Good, thanks. But I have some bad news.’

Grace stiffened. ‘What?’

‘It’s Alfie.’ I pressed my lips together. ‘My cat? I found him dead.’

Grace snorted a laugh, but recovered quickly. Her features rearranged into concern. ‘Oh, but that’s awful.’ She reached out a touched my arm. ‘You must be so sad.’ She gave a little laugh. ‘But on the bright side, at least I’ll be able to sleep now. Silver linings!’

She sashayed down the hall to the kitchen, where she opened the fridge and took out the open Sancerre. There was just one glass left.