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

‘Yes and no. Look, you have to know I had no choice. My boss made that very clear. He basically tapped me on the shoulder and said he thought I had potential. But if I wanted to continue progressing within the firm, the only way to do it was to take an overseas secondment. [sighs] It’s a tough business, competitive, and people have memories like elephants in that company. If you’re offered a secondment and you don’t take it, you’ll be passed over not only for any other secondments, but for promotions. It’s a fact of life that the people who get the promotions are the ones who have the overseas experience; the ones who’ve worked in the international offices, not the ones who stay put, whether that’s in London, Beijing or bloody Timbuktu.’

‘So, Abigail understood that you felt you had no choice?’

‘Yes, I think so. And, look: you know she’s an artist. You can’t count on that as a regular income. Yes, she was due to exhibit, and the chances are the paintings would sell, but you can’t depend on it. It doesn’t pay the bills. She hasn’t earned anything except pocket money painting bloody pets for the last four years so I’m basically supporting both of us, while trying to save money for the future. It’s not easy. I need those promotions. I need to progress. I can’t stagnate.

‘But, to answer the question, yes, I guess I worried a bit. I know she’s fragile. I know she doesn’t like going out. I know she lives a lot in her head but, at the back of my mind, I knew I had my family – my sister, and my mum – who’d be more than happy to keep an eye on Abs. I was already planning to give a house key to my mum. [chuckles] If you need anyone to keep an eye on anything, you ask my mum.’

Twelve

Back at the house, Rohan went on up to the bedroom. I ran myself a glass of water and drank it standing at the sink. The floorboards creaked overhead as my husband moved around the bedroom taking off his shoes and socks and changing into his T-shirt ready for bed.

I stared out at the blackness of the garden, inhaling the scent of plants that had roasted all day in the sun. So Rohan was going to New York. There was nothing I could do to change his mind – that, I realized – which left me with three choices: go with him; stay home alone; or invite Grace to stay with me. I sighed. Why couldn’t things be black and white? Grace was Grace, and it would be dancing with danger to invite her back into my life – but she also had an undeniably positive effect on my creativity. Would being with her be better or worse than being alone?