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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

‘I don’t know yet,’ I said, staring at the palette and the colours on the paper as if seeing them for the first time. But that wasn’t true. I hadn’t thought about it, but when I sat back and took in the overall impression of what I’d mixed, there was only one thing – one person – it could be, and the thought made my heart jump.

‘Divine intervention, eh?’ said Rohan, touching steepled hands to his forehead as if saying thanks to God. ‘Finally! Hallelujah for that!’ He paused then scrunched up his face. ‘I hate to say this when you’re finally working, but shouldn’t you be getting ready? The table’s booked for 7.30, and you know how Mum hates us to be late.’

Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019

‘I understand that it was that summer when Abigail first began working on a new portrait painting?’

‘Yes.’

‘How did you feel at that point?’

‘I was hopeful. It was a good thing. She’d stagnated creatively for some time so I was glad to see her mixing paints for something other than a dog portrait. I really hoped she’d got her mojo back, not least because she had an exhibition lined up and she was running out of time. Francesca – from the gallery– kept putting the dates back and I got the impression that her patience was running out. I worried that if Abs didn’t pull something out of the bag, she wouldn’t be given another chance.

‘So I was relieved when I saw her starting on something that looked like it might be more serious. I mean, she’s a talented artist. If only she’d just focus and not spend her time pissing about – excuse me – with pet portraits.

‘Her first collection was a massive success, you know. The critics loved it. It sold. Every piece sold. Have you seen it online?’

‘Not yet.’

‘It was dark; threatening. You can google it. It’s scary. Looking back, I suppose that was a clue… but you don’t know at the time, do you? You don’t know where these things come from.’

‘And you don’t want to ask?’

[Pause] ‘No. You don’t want to ask.’

Seven

It was Rohan’s idea that we had dinner with his parents a minimum of once a month. Though, when I say ‘his parents’, I really mean his mother. And, when I say it was his idea, I’m absolutely sure it was hers. I wouldn’t be giving anything away to say that it’s she who wears the trousers in my in-laws’ marriage – an arrangement that suits my father-in-law, Clive, down to the ground.