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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

‘He knew. He absolutely knew. He waited for you to come. He knew you were there, and he was at peace.’

‘Thank you. That means a lot.’

I bowed my head. It was my job. Helping dying patients to pass without fear, and giving comfort to the bereaved after their loved ones were gone was exactly why I was there.

‘And thank you for everything,’ she said. ‘You volunteers, you’re angels who walk the Earth.’

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

‘Tell me a little about Abigail’s volunteer work at the hospice. What motivates her to do it? Does she enjoy it?’

‘Yes, she enjoys it. This might sound odd, but it means a lot to her to make sure people are in a good place when they die. She takes it really seriously. I mean, to me, it sounds awful, but she always comes back in a good mood. I tease her about why she wants to spend her days with dying people but… [shrugs] It gets her out of the house. I already mentioned that she doesn’t much like going out so, if she didn’t do that, she’d stay at home her entire life. Sometimes I think I shouldn’t have suggested the website for the pet portraits. It makes it too easy for her to stay at home.’

[Rustles papers] ‘Has she ever been diagnosed as agoraphobic?’

‘Not that I know of, but if you gave her choice between going out and staying in, I know which she’d pick. Actually, is there, like, a scale for agoraphobia, you know, like there is for autism? Because, if there is, she’d definitely be somewhere on it. Anyway, she likes the hospice work. She was always really conscientious. Never used to miss her day. She had responsibilities and she took them seriously. I know it sounds a bit depressing, spending time with people who’re just waiting to die, but she’s good at it. It makes her happy. If that doesn’t sound weird.’

Twenty-One

Given her flight arrival time, I’d calculated that Grace would make it to the house around six. I got home from the hospice around four thirty, showered, changed and sat in the kitchen with a glass of wine as I let the reality of Mr Keyson’s passing sink in. Around me the house settled into itself, too, as if it was also thinking about mortality. The clock beat out its interminable rhythm, each reverberating tick marking a countdown that took me ever closer to my own death.