Unspoken: A story of secrets, love and revenge by T. Belshaw (best reads of all time .TXT) 📗

he’s coming out to see you and that’s that.’ She pulled her mobile from the pocket of her jeans and looked up the surgery number on Alice’s emergency contact list.

After making the call, she sat by Alice’s bedside, took hold of her hand and gently stroked it.

‘The doctor will call round later today, Nana. He’s in surgery at the moment and now that your breathing has settled down a bit, I didn’t bother the emergency services.’ Jess checked her phone for messages from Calvin, but there were none. She thought she had better let him know what was happening in case she got back late, so she sent him a text.

Nana’s very poorly. Sitting with her while we wait for the doctor. Will let you know when I’m setting off for home. Xxxx

Jess slipped her phone back into the pocket of her jeans and settled on her seat. ‘Would you like me to read from your novel, Nana?’ she asked.

Alice shook her head. ‘It’s not…that…good, really.’ She lifted her head from the pillows and pushed herself up onto her elbows. ‘Jess…ica… my, stor…y.’

‘Don’t worry about it just now, Nana,’ said Jess. ‘There’ll be plenty of time for that later.’ She crossed her fingers and sent up a silent prayer that Alice would recover.

‘Upstairs in… the… attic.’

‘In the attic?’ Jess looked puzzled.

‘In the… cor…ner, past… the Dormer.’

‘What’s in the attic, Nana?’

‘My story… all of it.’ Alice took a wheezy breath, the air seemed to rattle about in her lungs.

‘You kept diaries?’ asked Jess. ‘Oh, Nana, that’s wonderful.’

‘Not diaries. Memoirs,’ Alice croaked. ‘In box…files.’ She began to cough again, but it was nothing like the earlier coughing fit. When she had recovered, Jess gave her another sip of water.

Alice took several gasping breaths, then pointed at the ceiling. ‘In the… attic… nineteen thirty-seven… to…thir…ty…nine…just that…box… for now.’

Jess wondered what the urgency was. She could get the files down any time. ‘I’ll get them when I come back tomorrow, Nana.’

‘Now…Jes…sica.’ Alice was determined. She pointed to the ceiling again. ‘In the cor…ner, past the…Dor…mer.’

Jess stood up. Alice was becoming stressed, and that wouldn’t help with her breathing. ‘All right, Nana, I’ll get them now. I’ll be back in a few minutes.’

Alice sank back into the pillows and once again, pointed upwards. ‘Be…careful… lots of junk…’

Jess smiled. ‘I’ll be careful, Nana.’

As she turned away, she heard the front door open and a few seconds later, Gwen appeared.

‘I was at a loose end, so I thought I’d just look in to see if there’s anything that needs doing.’ She suddenly noticed the white-faced figure of Alice propped up in her bed. ‘Oh, my goodness, whatever’s the matter?’ She pulled off her coat, dropped it on the floor, and rushed to Alice’s side.

‘She’s a little bit better than she was a short while ago. I’ve rung for the doctor; he’s coming out later today. Can you sit with her for a few minutes, Gwen, I’ve been ordered to bring something down from the attic.’

Jess hurried across the lounge, feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitement. She had never been up to the attic before. When she was a child, sleeping over or staying for a week’s holiday, the big white door leading to it had always been locked. She used to wonder what secrets were hidden up there. Now, she would find out.

Chapter 47

Jess

Jess climbed the stairs until she got to the first-floor landing, then she turned left, passed the room where she used to sleep when she stayed over as a child, turned right at the end of the corridor and opened the flaking, white painted door. She had never been in the attic before. She remembered her grandmother’s stories about witches and demons as she began to climb. There was another, unpainted door at the top of the stairs. Jess hesitated before taking hold of the handle. Her heart was racing.

Come on, Jess, it’s an attic, what could possibly be hiding in there?

She took a deep breath, turned the handle and pushed the door. It opened with a long, whining creak.

Oh my God. Why wasn’t I expecting that? Get a grip of yourself, Jess, you’ve written ghost stories for pity’s sake.

The light from inside came from the double, four-pane, Dormer window that had been built into the roof, way back in time. Jess stretched her neck to look what lay behind the door frame. As far as she could make out, the room was filled with old tea chests, thick cardboard boxes and dusty piles of old curtains and bedding.

Alice had said the box she wanted would be found in the corner, to the right of the Dormer. Jess took a deep breath, summoned up all of her courage, and stepped smartly into the room.

She stepped around the tea chest that sat in lonely isolation about three feet away from the doorway, and weaved around a maze of cardboard boxes containing crumpled newspapers, wrapped around what she assumed, from the shapes, were various items of crockery. Jess didn’t bother to investigate them. As she passed the Dormer, she picked up a movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked across the attic to see a dusty, cobweb-covered mirror. Jess came to a halt and stared at the reflection that struggled to find its way past the dirt and grime. Staring back at her, was a young woman, little more than a teenager, her hair was light, almost flax coloured, and was swept back over her ears and rolled at the nape of her neck in a very similar style to Alice’s. Her pretty face was heart shaped, her lips full, layered with raspberry red lipstick and her eyes were a deep shade of blue. As Jess leaned forward, she smiled. It was a warm smile, a smile that made her feel she should smile back. She took a step closer and the image began to fade. Jess hesitated, hoping that the friendly face would return, but when she reached out