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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

Behind me, Grace’s door creaked as it swung slowly open. I closed my eyes and tensed, fully expecting her to strike me somehow; to smash me over the head, to kick me down the stairs, take out her anger on me. Behind me, I sensed her move across the landing towards me and I squeezed my knees tighter to my body, bracing for the impact. She stopped directly behind me and waited. Around us, the house watched.

The grandfather clock ticked, as it always had done, and the deep silence of the hall amplified the sound up the stairs, the seconds passing like gunshots. Then I heard the whisper of Grace’s clothes as she took a step, and my nostrils filled with the sickening scent of her perfume. Slowly, she sat down next to me on the top step. Her elbow brushed mine, raising goosebumps on my arm.

‘Your husband’s back tomorrow,’ she said, and I couldn’t breathe. ‘I don’t want to outstay my welcome.’

My heart thudded with each tick of the clock.

‘I’ve arranged some house viewings in Kent,’ she said slowly, as if savouring my discomfort. ‘And you’ve finished your paintings now. I’d like you to come down to help me look.’ Her words were bullets. ‘You’ll know all the best places.’

I swallowed. ‘It’s been years. It’ll all have changed.’

‘Those villages don’t change much.’ Grace gave a little laugh. ‘They’ve been the same for hundreds of years. Maybe we can do some sightseeing while we’re down there. Make a day of it. We could stop by the house where you grew up, if you like.’

‘My dad moved years ago.’

I felt Grace shrug. ‘But still. It’d be interesting to see. As we’ll be so close. So – you’ll come? Tomorrow?’

I closed my eyes against my knees, and squeezed them shut as if the force of my eyelids could squeeze her away, out of my life for good, but she carried on speaking, her voice sliding over me like those thick cobwebs that trail across your face, making you swat at yourself until every touch is gone. Around us, the house held its breath. Through the layers of time, the girl reached out, swirling around me, whispering truths through the ether that I never thought would be told.

‘Can you book a cab to take us down?’ Grace said, and the clock struck seven sombre notes that reverberated through the house.

Fifty-Four

We waited in silence for the taxi the following morning. I hadn’t eaten, my insides too fragile.