Whispers

by Rosie Goodwin

  Minutes later there was a rap on the car window.

  ‘Are you all right, love?’ A middle-aged gentleman with a bald head and a nose that looked as if it had done ten rounds with Mike Tyson was peering in at her with concern. ‘I was following you back there on the lane when I saw you suddenly swerve through the gates. What happened?’

  ‘M-my brakes failed,’ Jess sobbed.

  ‘My God.’ He tutted as he stood there in the rain. ‘It’s a good job that you spotted the gate open then.’ Looking towards the traffic that was flying past on the main road just metres away from them, he asked kindly, ‘Where do you live? You look a bit shaken up. I’ll give you a lift home. Come on.’

  Jess unfastened her seat belt and climbed from the car on unsteady legs. ‘I er . . . live just back there in Stonebridge House. Thank you, it’s very kind of you, but I can’t understand it. The car is less than a year old.’

  ‘Unfortunately these things happen sometimes. But luckily for you you’ve lived to walk away from it,’ he said as he gently took her elbow. ‘Best leave the car here and get your husband to come and look at it, eh? Come on – let’s get you out of the rain. You look as if a good stiff drink might do you the world of good.’

  He helped her back to the lane where he had parked his car and after reversing it he headed back the way she had come. When they pulled into the courtyard she thanked him profusely.

  Simon was standing in the kitchen window and he rushed outside immediately.

  ‘What’s happened?’ he asked as he stared at Jess’s pale face. ‘And where’s the car?’

  ‘I had an accident,’ Jess stuttered, still visibly shaken. ‘Or should I say I almost had an accident. I was heading for the main road when I realised that the brakes weren’t working and I couldn’t slow down. Luckily I noticed a farm gate was open and I managed to steer the car into a field where I turned the engine off and waited for the car to stop. This gentleman saw what was happening and very kindly gave me a lift home.’

  ‘My God.’ Simon wrenched the car door open and helped her out as he nodded at the man. ‘Thanks for bringing her home, mate. Thank goodness you were there.’

  ‘You’re welcome,’ the man replied. ‘But she’s had a nasty shock. I should get her checked over by a doctor, if I were you.’

  Simon nodded grimly as he led Jess towards the house and once inside he pressed her into a chair.

  ‘Are you hurt?’ he asked anxiously. ‘Did you injure yourself?’

  Jess shook her head. ‘No, I didn’t even have a bang. I’ll be right as rain once I stop shaking.’

  ‘And where’s the car?’

  ‘Still in the field leading down to the main road. I couldn’t drive it home without any brakes, could I? I’m going to ring the garage where I bought it from and give them hell. It’s not even a year old yet, for Christ’s sake, and it’s still under warranty! I could have been killed.’

  ‘Don’t do that,’ Simon told her hastily. ‘I’ll give Dan a ring and he can come with me and we’ll tow it back here.’

  Dan was the young man that worked for Simon as his labourer. He was a nice young chap and engaged to be married, and Jess knew that Simon set a lot of store by him because he was a good worker.

  ‘But you shouldn’t have to do that when it’s still under warranty,’ she protested.

  ‘There’s not much Dan doesn’t know about cars, and I want to find out what caused the brakes to fail before I contact the garage,’ Simon told her with a frown.

  ‘All right then, if you think that’s best,’ Jess conceded, just grateful that she had come out of it unscathed. ‘I reckon I might go and put my feet up for a bit while you ring him, if you don’t mind. My heart is going fifteen to the dozen.’

  ‘Of course you should. Come on, let me help you upstairs.’ Simon promptly hauled her to her feet again and led her away.

  Once Jess was settled against the pillow on her bed, tears coursed down her cheeks as she allowed herself to think of what might have happened. Had she not spotted the open farm gate when she did, she would have shot straight out into the path of the ongoing traffic and she wouldn’t have stood a chance. She and her unborn baby would probably have been killed outright, and suddenly she realised just how much she did want the child now. Her hand dropped to protectively stroke her stomach. There was no doubt about it, a guardian angel must have been watching over them today.

  Eventually she fell asleep with the sound of whispering in her ears.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The following morning at breakfast, Simon tossed Jess her car keys across the table. He had towed it back from the field the day before.

  ‘Why are you giving me these?’ she asked. ‘Shouldn’t it be going into the garage?’

  ‘It’s all mended,’ he assured her. ‘Dan had a look at it: somehow the brake cable had snapped, but he’s fixed it now.’

  ‘But how could that have happened?’

  Simon shrugged as he tucked into his Weetabix. ‘Just one of those things, I suppose. Perhaps it was faulty. But all’s well that ends well. There’s no point in taking it any further.’

  Jess dropped the keys into her handbag as if they might bite her. Somehow the thought of having her own car wasn’t quite so attractive any more and she wondered if she would ever find the nerve to get behind the wheel again. The incident the day before had badly shaken her.

  ‘I shall be out for most of today,’ Simon informed her, and when her face fell he said, ‘Sorry, love, but I’ve got some quotes to do, and with work being as it is I can’t afford not to do them.’

  He had promised to have two whole weeks off work over Christmas and the New Year, but Jess could understand that he couldn’t turn possible work down. There were lots of good programmes on the TV and she decided that she might even find time to read a little more of Martha’s journal too.

  ‘Of course you should go,’ she agreed. ‘Is Bill coming with you?’

  Simon nodded. ‘Yes, I’ve got to pick him up at ten.’ Glancing at his wrist-watch, he hastily finished his last mouthful and got up from the table. ‘I’d better get a move on else I’m going to be late.’ He then kissed her before asking, ‘You are feeling all right, aren’t you? I know you were pretty shook up after what happened yesterday. Do you think I should get the doctor to check you out?’

  ‘No, I’m feeling absolutely fine now I’ve had a good sleep,’ she said. ‘You just get off and I’ll see you later.’

  Once he’d gone she had a leisurely shower and got dressed, toying with the idea of going to see Laura.

  Laura was becoming a little reclusive since she had found out about Beth’s unplanned pregnancy, and Jess was concerned about her. But then Den might be off work and she didn’t wish to intrude. She decided she would take a leisurely walk down the drive and if his car was there she would come back. It wasn’t, and seconds later she was sitting with Laura in her kitchen telling her all about the accident the day before.

  Beth was sitting in the chair at the side of the inglenook fireplace again, rocking to and fro, locked in a world of her own more than ever now.

  ‘Good lord.’ Laura looked horrified. ‘Just imagine what might have happened. You must have had someone watching over you yesterday.’

  ‘That’s what I thought,’ Jess chuckled. ‘I have to admit I’ve never believed in guardian angels before but I’m beginning to now.’ As she glanced towards Beth her eyes became sad and she whispered, ‘How is she?’

  ‘Not good.’ Laura folded her arms tightly across her chest and Jess was shocked to see how much weight she had lost.

  ‘She hardly ever speaks now,’ Laura continued, her eyes locked on her daughter. ‘Den and I are seriously worried about her but the doctor says there’s nothing we can do. The trouble is, she doesn’t really understand what’s happening to her and I know she desperately misses going to the youth club. She keeps pointing to the door and saying “Simon”. She misses him picking her up and taking her there.’<
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  ‘It’s so sad,’ Jess said as sympathetic tears burned at the back of her eyes. ‘I reckon if Simon could get his hands on whichever lad did this to her, he’d strangle him with his bare hands.’

  Changing the subject slightly, Laura asked, ‘And how are things with you now?’

  ‘Unbelievably good, apart from the fact that Mel is still having her moods,’ Jess replied. ‘Simon has suddenly had a complete change of heart about the baby and actually seems to be looking forward to it now. He was devastated when I had the accident yesterday and couldn’t do enough for me. He isn’t going out so much either, so all in all things are looking up.’

  ‘Good.’ Laura looked pleased for her and once more, Jess felt guilty as she remembered that she had once suspected Laura of having an affair with her husband.

  ‘And how is your family tree progressing?’ she asked.

  Laura looked slightly more cheerful. ‘Very well actually. I’ve almost completed mine and Den’s, and I’m well on the way with the Fenton one too. It makes very interesting reading, believe you me. I wondered how you’d feel about me tracing yours and Simon’s? It gives me something to do now that I can’t go out so much, and I really enjoy it. All I’d need to know is your dates of birth and the places where you were both born and then I could take it from there.’

  ‘Feel free,’ Jess laughed and promptly gave her the information she had asked for before standing up. ‘Right – I’d better get back else the girls will wonder where I’ve disappeared to,’ she said. ‘Planning anything special for New Year’s Eve, are you?’

  ‘No, just a quiet night in with a bottle of wine and the TV.’

  ‘Same here,’ Jess told her, and minutes later she was on her way back up the sweeping drive. There had been a severe frost the night before and the trees looked pretty with it glistening on their bare branches. She paused to watch a rabbit hopping across the frozen grass before proceeding at a leisurely pace. It was moments like this that made her glad to be alive and to count her blessings – particularly after what had happened the day before. Jess knew that it would be a very long time before she felt confident driving the car again, even though Simon had assured her that it was now as safe as houses.

  Pushing the gloomy thoughts aside, she moved on, determined to hold on to her optimistic mood.

  She was pleasantly surprised when Simon chose to stay in with her on New Year’s Eve. They curled up on the settee with a big box of chocolates and it reminded Jess of the days when they had first been married. They hadn’t been able to afford to go out much back then and had been perfectly content in each other’s company.

  It was when she went to make a cup of cocoa during a break in the film they were watching that he followed her into the kitchen looking slightly sheepish as he leaned on the kitchen table.

  ‘All right, out with it,’ she said. ‘I know that look: what do you want to ask me?’

  ‘Well, I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about this,’ he said hesitantly. ‘But the thing is, young Dan is getting married at the end of January.’

  ‘I already know that,’ Jess replied.

  ‘He’s decided to have a stag weekend and he’s asked me and some of the other blokes from the darts team if we’d like to go.’

  ‘A stag weekend?’ Jess grinned. When she and Simon had got married, a stag night and hen do had consisted of nothing more than a pub crawl with a few of your mates, but things had moved on since then.

  ‘Yes, normally I wouldn’t dream of going if I had work on, but jobs are a bit sparse at the moment, as you know, so I thought you might not mind me going?’

  ‘Of course I don’t mind,’ Jess told him. ‘Where is he thinking of? Blackpool?’

  ‘Actually, it’s a bit further afield than that. He’s going to London.’

  ‘London!’ Jess’s eyes almost popped out of her head. ‘That’s an awful long way to go just for a weekend, isn’t it?’

  ‘As a matter of fact it’s Monday to Friday. And the thing is . . . if you’re sure you wouldn’t mind me tagging along, I might need another small loan.’ He watched her face closely for a reaction before hurrying on, ‘It wouldn’t need to be as much as I borrowed last time. Five grand should do it. I’ve had to pay the men’s wages you see, and what with work being a bit sparse . . .’

  ‘You don’t have to explain.’ Jess smiled at him, sensing his discomfort. ‘A break would do you good right now. You’ve worked flat out all through the summer. After all, me and the girls went to Paris, didn’t we?’ And what a disaster that nearly turned into, she thought.

  ‘Of course, the money wouldn’t be all for the break,’ he went on to explain. ‘I’ve got suppliers banging on the door for payment at the moment and I need to keep them happy.’

  ‘It’s not a problem,’ Jess said. ‘The banks won’t be open tomorrow because it’s New Year’s Day, but as soon as they are I’ll pop into town and get the money out for you. I might even get you a few new clothes while I’m at it. If you’re going to London you’ll need some new togs to go in.’

  ‘Thanks, love. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.’ He kissed her cheek and disappeared off back into the lounge as Jess went about making their cocoa and the subject wasn’t mentioned again that evening.

  With January came heavy frosts and bitterly cold winds. Simon’s work continued to be spasmodic but to his credit he worked whenever he could. Jess still wasn’t overly concerned. This had happened many times before. Once spring arrived he would be inundated with work again and she still had a very tidy sum in the bank to tide them over.

  The decorators had been in and the nursery for the new baby was now finished and she and Jo had been shopping for furniture for it. There was a small white swinging crib with lace drapes that Jo had fallen in love with. Jess had considered using the crib she had found in the attic, but Jo loved this one so much she had decided to indulge her. A white wardrobe and a chest of drawers were slowly being filled with baby clothes. A cream carpet covered the floor wall to wall, and Winnie the Pooh curtains that matched the wallpaper that Jo had chosen hung at the windows. Jess had been to the hospital for her scan where they had asked her if she would like to know the sex of the baby. She had promised herself beforehand that she wouldn’t ask, but at the last minute the temptation was too much for her to resist. After all, she told herself, it’s not as if it’s my first baby, is it? And at least if I know what sex it is I can begin to buy clothes in the appropriate colour. And so she had nodded mutely as the midwife stared at the screen where Jess could see her baby’s hearbeat, strong and steady.

  ‘It’s a little boy,’ the woman told her and Jess’s mouth gaped open. She could hardly believe her luck and couldn’t wait to get home and tell Simon and the girls. She was going to have a son, and so now the majority of the clothes she bought would be blue and she began to try and imagine what he would be like. Would he be tall and dark-haired like his father, or would he take after her?

  Simon was ecstatic when she told him that he was going to have a son and so was Jo, although Mel took the news in her usual disinterested way with a shrug of her shoulders. She still really didn’t want the baby, whatever sex it was, and made no secret of the fact.

  The following week, Laura took Beth to the hospital for her scan and they found out that she was carrying a little boy too.

  ‘They’ll be good company for each other as they get a little older,’ Laura enthused. Beth was over the worst of her sickness now and although she was very pale she was coping better.

  And then almost before they knew it, it was time for Simon to leave for his break in London.

  ‘I hope I haven’t put too much in your case,’ Jess said worriedly as she stared at the mountain of clothes she had packed for him.

  ‘I’m only going for five days, you know,’ he teased. ‘There are enough togs in there to last me for a month with two changes a day.’

  ‘I suppose I could take a couple of T-shirts and a pair of jeans out,’
Jess mused. Now that his departure was imminent she was glad that he was going because he had earned a rest, but the selfish side of her knew that she would miss him. Still, he’ll be back before I know it, she consoled herself, and it will be nice for me and the girls to have some quality time together – if I can lever Mel out of her room.

  The house seemed strangely empty the next day. The girls were both at school and she wandered from room to room aimlessly, looking at what still needed to be done and trying to assess how much it might cost. With the birth of the baby looming nearer, her plans for opening a B and B had been put on hold for the time being, which was quite worrying as the money in the bank was dwindling faster than she had expected it to. The cost of keeping such a large house running was astronomical and Simon had almost fainted when the gas and electric bills had popped through the letterbox.

  ‘Jesus!’ he’d exclaimed. ‘I bet it doesn’t cost this much to heat Buckingham Palace.’

  ‘Well, we’ve had to keep the heating on and keep the place warm,’ Jess had countered defensively. ‘Everyone’s heating bills have gone up this year. Just stop worrying about it, I’ll sort it.’