stay with me as long as you need to.’
He closed his eyes in sheer relief and when he looked at her again, his eyes were bright with tears. She knew how desperate he felt, because she did too, so covered his hand with hers. They sat there quietly for a while.
What would she have done if she hadn’t had Chad to talk to and keep her sane?
Footsteps came towards them and they moved slightly apart, bending over the crossword puzzle they’d been pretending to solve.
When they were alone again, she sighed. ‘We still have to work out how to get away once we leave hospital. I wish I’d dared discuss that with Rachel, but I knew someone was standing outside my room, eavesdropping.’
‘We’ll play it by ear, if necessary.’
How could this be happening to her in England? Emily thought as she was escorted firmly back to her room to rest after her meal, in spite of her protests that she wasn’t tired.
As she lay fuming on her bed, she suddenly remembered recent media reports on TV about how older patients had been badly treated for years in one poorly run institution, some beaten regularly, and she grew depressed about her chances of escaping. Those people hadn’t, had they?
No, she mustn’t let the situation get her down. She must think positively.
Emily didn’t dare read the letter Rachel had brought till the middle of the night, and what she found astonished her.
A distant cousin of her father’s had died suddenly and had left everything to Emily, a house in Lancashire
and
some money. Penelope’s lawyer, a Mr Jeremy Tapton, had contacted her before but her nephew had said she was ill. Mr Tapton hoped she was now better, because he was unwilling to let her nephew finalize the sale of her inheritance until the lawyer had seen her in person, or George had obtained a power of attorney.
He’d be happy to come south to visit his client.
Emily hadn’t known Penelope Mattison very well, but this couldn’t have come at a better time. She needed a refuge and now one had turned up. ‘Thank you, Penelope,’ she murmured. George might be in her house, but she could stay in Penelope’s until she’d dealt with him once and for all.
He might know where to find her, because he must have opened the earlier correspondence, but it’d be inconveniently far away for him and she’d have this lawyer nearby.
When George came to visit her, she heard his loud voice, exchanged glances with Chad and hovered near the door of the day room, unashamedly eavesdropping on what he was saying at reception.
‘I’m going away tomorrow, Sister, so I won’t be here again until Tuesday of next week. I couldn’t leave without visiting my poor aunt, though.’
Pauline said something, but not loud enough for Emily to hear. It soon became obvious what she’d said.
‘Well, in future I’d be grateful if you’d keep your part of the bargain and keep that meddling neighbour away from my aunt. Rachel isn’t as good a friend as she pretends.’
‘I’ll certainly do that, but I’ll need you to sign an authorization for it. Are you going somewhere nice for your holiday, Mr Pilby?’
‘I’m spending a long weekend in Brighton. A reward from my employer for good sales figures. I haven’t been able to take it until now, because I’ve been too busy.’
‘How marvellous. Come into my office and I’ll find you a piece of paper for the authorization.’
The other rehab assistant came along the corridor just then. ‘Have you lost your way, Miss Mattison?’
‘
Ms
Mattison.’ She wasn’t going to give up correcting them on this. ‘Of course I’ve not lost my way. I’m avoiding my nephew.’ She realized from the way Chad rolled his eyes that it was probably the wrong thing to say and added hastily, ‘He’s such a bore.’
George came to see her shortly afterwards and insisted on going into her room to talk privately. She endured a scold about Rachel’s visit, then ten minutes of him boasting about being top salesman. He
He closed his eyes in sheer relief and when he looked at her again, his eyes were bright with tears. She knew how desperate he felt, because she did too, so covered his hand with hers. They sat there quietly for a while.
What would she have done if she hadn’t had Chad to talk to and keep her sane?
Footsteps came towards them and they moved slightly apart, bending over the crossword puzzle they’d been pretending to solve.
When they were alone again, she sighed. ‘We still have to work out how to get away once we leave hospital. I wish I’d dared discuss that with Rachel, but I knew someone was standing outside my room, eavesdropping.’
‘We’ll play it by ear, if necessary.’
How could this be happening to her in England? Emily thought as she was escorted firmly back to her room to rest after her meal, in spite of her protests that she wasn’t tired.
As she lay fuming on her bed, she suddenly remembered recent media reports on TV about how older patients had been badly treated for years in one poorly run institution, some beaten regularly, and she grew depressed about her chances of escaping. Those people hadn’t, had they?
No, she mustn’t let the situation get her down. She must think positively.
Emily didn’t dare read the letter Rachel had brought till the middle of the night, and what she found astonished her.
A distant cousin of her father’s had died suddenly and had left everything to Emily, a house in Lancashire
and
some money. Penelope’s lawyer, a Mr Jeremy Tapton, had contacted her before but her nephew had said she was ill. Mr Tapton hoped she was now better, because he was unwilling to let her nephew finalize the sale of her inheritance until the lawyer had seen her in person, or George had obtained a power of attorney.
He’d be happy to come south to visit his client.
Emily hadn’t known Penelope Mattison very well, but this couldn’t have come at a better time. She needed a refuge and now one had turned up. ‘Thank you, Penelope,’ she murmured. George might be in her house, but she could stay in Penelope’s until she’d dealt with him once and for all.
He might know where to find her, because he must have opened the earlier correspondence, but it’d be inconveniently far away for him and she’d have this lawyer nearby.
When George came to visit her, she heard his loud voice, exchanged glances with Chad and hovered near the door of the day room, unashamedly eavesdropping on what he was saying at reception.
‘I’m going away tomorrow, Sister, so I won’t be here again until Tuesday of next week. I couldn’t leave without visiting my poor aunt, though.’
Pauline said something, but not loud enough for Emily to hear. It soon became obvious what she’d said.
‘Well, in future I’d be grateful if you’d keep your part of the bargain and keep that meddling neighbour away from my aunt. Rachel isn’t as good a friend as she pretends.’
‘I’ll certainly do that, but I’ll need you to sign an authorization for it. Are you going somewhere nice for your holiday, Mr Pilby?’
‘I’m spending a long weekend in Brighton. A reward from my employer for good sales figures. I haven’t been able to take it until now, because I’ve been too busy.’
‘How marvellous. Come into my office and I’ll find you a piece of paper for the authorization.’
The other rehab assistant came along the corridor just then. ‘Have you lost your way, Miss Mattison?’
‘
Ms
Mattison.’ She wasn’t going to give up correcting them on this. ‘Of course I’ve not lost my way. I’m avoiding my nephew.’ She realized from the way Chad rolled his eyes that it was probably the wrong thing to say and added hastily, ‘He’s such a bore.’
George came to see her shortly afterwards and insisted on going into her room to talk privately. She endured a scold about Rachel’s visit, then ten minutes of him boasting about being top salesman. He
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