You’re an enterprising woman.’
‘I’m feeling much more like my old self. How about you? No more memory flashes?’
‘Nothing useful. I could see a garden, and a huge building with a sign on it. Only it faded before I could read the sign. Apart from that, I see oddments of furniture, old things. I must have liked antiques.’
‘I love them – well, not all periods, but I have a few nice pieces. I always watch antiques programmes on TV.’ She took his hand. ‘Don’t worry. You
will
remember more. I’m sure of it.’
He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Desire speared through her and she gazed at him in shock.
He smiled knowingly. ‘It’s hitting me, too.’
She didn’t try to deny it. ‘Of all the places to meet someone!’
‘Fate’s been kind to us. What would I have done without you to keep my spirits up?’
She kept hold of his hand. ‘You’ve done the same for me. And we
will
escape.’
‘And be together.’
Two days later, while Sister was on her tea break, Rachel came to visit, sneaking up in the lift with some other people.
‘I’m afraid Miss Mattison’s nephew has requested no visitors and . . .’ the nurse at the reception desk was saying.
Emily walked along towards them, calling out, ‘Rachel! How lovely to see you!’
Her friend immediately hurried towards her.
‘We’ll just be in my room!’ Emily told the nurse.
The woman looked worried, opened her mouth then shut it again.
Chad gave them the thumbs up as they passed him.
‘Who’s the dishy man?’ Rachel asked. ‘Surely
he
hasn’t got dementia?’
‘Keep your voice down. Chad’s a friend. And if you’ve got any mail, give it me now, in case they send you away. And the money too, please.’
‘I just brought the important looking one, in case it’s urgent.’ Rachel passed over an envelope and two hundred pounds. ‘It seems to be from a lawyer in Lancashire. Isn’t that where your family comes from?’
‘Yes. But I daren’t open it now.’ She tucked the envelope under her mattress.
‘How are you, Emily? Really?’
‘Better than I let them know. There’s a conspiracy to keep me in here.’
‘George said you weren’t as well as you thought.’
‘My nephew is a liar. He said
you
had gone away to sort out a family crisis. And he’s told them I had dementia before the accident.’
Rachel’s shocked expression showed Emily’s guess had been correct: her being away had been a lie.
‘Don’t you have a lawyer I can contact?’
‘No. I’ve never needed one, except for buying my house.’
‘Well, you need one now, Emily.’
Sister arrived just then. ‘I’m afraid we decided on no visitors except family,’ she said with one of her tight smiles.
‘Then I’m afraid I’ll have to make a formal complaint,’ Emily said. ‘
I
wasn’t consulted about that. Or my friend can do it on my behalf. I’ve asked you before to stop George coming to visit and you haven’t done it, and now I find you’re stopping the people I do want to see from visiting me, like my best friend. This is outrageous. How do I make a formal complaint? Rachel, will
you
find out for me?’
‘It’ll be my pleasure.’
There was a pregnant silence, then, ‘Five minutes only.’
‘See what I mean,’ Emily whispered. Then she pointed. Outside there was a shadow across the corridor. Someone was eavesdropping. She nudged Rachel and put one finger to her lips, mouthing, ‘I’ll phone you.’
The five minutes went all too quickly and Emily felt near tears as she saw her friend firmly escorted to the lift by Sister.
She waited a while, sitting by her bed, pretending to read, then as lunchtime approached, she went to sit with Chad and bring him up to date on what Rachel had said.
He looked at her very solemnly. ‘You’re sure you don’t mind me coming along with you now you’ve got Rachel to help?’
‘I told you: I’d prefer to have your company for the Great Escape, and you’re welcome to
‘I’m feeling much more like my old self. How about you? No more memory flashes?’
‘Nothing useful. I could see a garden, and a huge building with a sign on it. Only it faded before I could read the sign. Apart from that, I see oddments of furniture, old things. I must have liked antiques.’
‘I love them – well, not all periods, but I have a few nice pieces. I always watch antiques programmes on TV.’ She took his hand. ‘Don’t worry. You
will
remember more. I’m sure of it.’
He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Desire speared through her and she gazed at him in shock.
He smiled knowingly. ‘It’s hitting me, too.’
She didn’t try to deny it. ‘Of all the places to meet someone!’
‘Fate’s been kind to us. What would I have done without you to keep my spirits up?’
She kept hold of his hand. ‘You’ve done the same for me. And we
will
escape.’
‘And be together.’
Two days later, while Sister was on her tea break, Rachel came to visit, sneaking up in the lift with some other people.
‘I’m afraid Miss Mattison’s nephew has requested no visitors and . . .’ the nurse at the reception desk was saying.
Emily walked along towards them, calling out, ‘Rachel! How lovely to see you!’
Her friend immediately hurried towards her.
‘We’ll just be in my room!’ Emily told the nurse.
The woman looked worried, opened her mouth then shut it again.
Chad gave them the thumbs up as they passed him.
‘Who’s the dishy man?’ Rachel asked. ‘Surely
he
hasn’t got dementia?’
‘Keep your voice down. Chad’s a friend. And if you’ve got any mail, give it me now, in case they send you away. And the money too, please.’
‘I just brought the important looking one, in case it’s urgent.’ Rachel passed over an envelope and two hundred pounds. ‘It seems to be from a lawyer in Lancashire. Isn’t that where your family comes from?’
‘Yes. But I daren’t open it now.’ She tucked the envelope under her mattress.
‘How are you, Emily? Really?’
‘Better than I let them know. There’s a conspiracy to keep me in here.’
‘George said you weren’t as well as you thought.’
‘My nephew is a liar. He said
you
had gone away to sort out a family crisis. And he’s told them I had dementia before the accident.’
Rachel’s shocked expression showed Emily’s guess had been correct: her being away had been a lie.
‘Don’t you have a lawyer I can contact?’
‘No. I’ve never needed one, except for buying my house.’
‘Well, you need one now, Emily.’
Sister arrived just then. ‘I’m afraid we decided on no visitors except family,’ she said with one of her tight smiles.
‘Then I’m afraid I’ll have to make a formal complaint,’ Emily said. ‘
I
wasn’t consulted about that. Or my friend can do it on my behalf. I’ve asked you before to stop George coming to visit and you haven’t done it, and now I find you’re stopping the people I do want to see from visiting me, like my best friend. This is outrageous. How do I make a formal complaint? Rachel, will
you
find out for me?’
‘It’ll be my pleasure.’
There was a pregnant silence, then, ‘Five minutes only.’
‘See what I mean,’ Emily whispered. Then she pointed. Outside there was a shadow across the corridor. Someone was eavesdropping. She nudged Rachel and put one finger to her lips, mouthing, ‘I’ll phone you.’
The five minutes went all too quickly and Emily felt near tears as she saw her friend firmly escorted to the lift by Sister.
She waited a while, sitting by her bed, pretending to read, then as lunchtime approached, she went to sit with Chad and bring him up to date on what Rachel had said.
He looked at her very solemnly. ‘You’re sure you don’t mind me coming along with you now you’ve got Rachel to help?’
‘I told you: I’d prefer to have your company for the Great Escape, and you’re welcome to
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