stroking his chin, ‘Doris just isn’t Higgins’s type.’
‘No? Well, who is?’
‘I don’t think any woman is his type.’
Kay looked confused for a moment and then clarity descended. ‘Oh!’ she said. ‘How do you know?’
‘Just an inkling,’ Adam said. ‘I walked by his room last night and his door was ajar and I heard him singing.’
‘What was he singing?’
‘The soundtrack to Yentl ,’ Adam said.
‘But that doesn’t mean anything,’ Kay said with an exasperated sigh.
‘It does when you’re singing it to a poster of Mandy Patinkin.’
Mia was still admiring her silver charm bracelet. It was such a thoughtful gift. The charms included miniature books, a dear little bonnet, a bouquet of flowers and a heart. She was going to find herself a quiet corner somewhere in Purley Hall so she could sit and admire it and also ring Gabe and speak to her darling little boy, William, and see how their Christmas Day was going. She was missing them so much but she knew that they’d be having a fabulous time with neighbours, Shelley and Pie and Bingley the dog.
Opening a door into one of the rooms at the back of Purley Hall, Mia froze. There was a man bending double and it didn’t take long for Mia to recognise Jackson Moore and he was going through a lady’s handbag.
‘Excuse me!’ Mia cried, consternation in her voice.
He span around, obviously surprised.
‘What are you doing?’ she asked, a frown on her face.
‘I was just-’ he stopped as a voice from a winged chair by the window interrupted him.
‘He was just getting my pills,’ Doris Norris said.
Mia narrowed her eyes as Jackson Moore rooted in Doris’s handbag once again, bringing out a small packet of tablets which he took over to her.
‘How kind you are,’ she told him. ‘You two have met, haven’t you?’
Mia’s face softened a little as she joined them by the window and Jackson gave her a tight smile. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Are you all right, Doris? Can I get you anything?’
‘No, thank you, my dear. This kind man brought me a glass of water and I have my tablets now.’
Mia sat on a chair next to her. ‘It’s been an exciting day, hasn’t it?’
‘Oh, yes!’ Doris said. ‘I was going to have a rest in my room but I didn’t feel like the climb upstairs.’
‘I can help you,’ Jackson Moore said.
Doris shook her head. ‘That’s so kind of you but I think I’ll just close my eyes here for a little while.’
Mia watched as Doris shut her eyes. Jackson Moore walked over to the door and picked up Doris’s handbag and brought it over to her.
‘Can I get you anything, Mia?’ he asked, stroking his dense moustache.
She shook her head, disliking the sound of her name on his tongue. ‘No, thank you,’ she said.
‘You know, you look just like my daughter,’ he told her.
Mia winced. ‘Really?’ she said.
He nodded thoughtfully. ‘She has exactly the same sulky look as you do.’
Mia’s mouth dropped open at his rudeness and she watched as he left the room. ‘Well, I-’ she paused as Doris opened an eye.
‘Isn’t he a character?’ she giggled.
‘Yes!’ Mia said. ‘The sort of character that any author would make sure gets his comeuppance!’
Chapter 15
Mia didn’t usually take an afternoon nap but there was something about sitting in that quiet room with Doris that made her nod off and, when she awoke, Doris was gone.
She got up and stretched and that’s when she became aware of the raised voices - voices that were filled with anxiety.
‘She just fell!’ somebody shouted.
‘She’s so pale. Someone call an ambulance!’
‘She’s had a heart attack!’
Mia opened the door into the hallway and saw the crowd at the bottom of the stairs. She pushed her way through and let out a cry as she saw the body on the floor. It was Doris Norris and her eyes were closed and her face deadly white.
Panic ensued as people talked over each other.
‘We need to call an
‘No? Well, who is?’
‘I don’t think any woman is his type.’
Kay looked confused for a moment and then clarity descended. ‘Oh!’ she said. ‘How do you know?’
‘Just an inkling,’ Adam said. ‘I walked by his room last night and his door was ajar and I heard him singing.’
‘What was he singing?’
‘The soundtrack to Yentl ,’ Adam said.
‘But that doesn’t mean anything,’ Kay said with an exasperated sigh.
‘It does when you’re singing it to a poster of Mandy Patinkin.’
Mia was still admiring her silver charm bracelet. It was such a thoughtful gift. The charms included miniature books, a dear little bonnet, a bouquet of flowers and a heart. She was going to find herself a quiet corner somewhere in Purley Hall so she could sit and admire it and also ring Gabe and speak to her darling little boy, William, and see how their Christmas Day was going. She was missing them so much but she knew that they’d be having a fabulous time with neighbours, Shelley and Pie and Bingley the dog.
Opening a door into one of the rooms at the back of Purley Hall, Mia froze. There was a man bending double and it didn’t take long for Mia to recognise Jackson Moore and he was going through a lady’s handbag.
‘Excuse me!’ Mia cried, consternation in her voice.
He span around, obviously surprised.
‘What are you doing?’ she asked, a frown on her face.
‘I was just-’ he stopped as a voice from a winged chair by the window interrupted him.
‘He was just getting my pills,’ Doris Norris said.
Mia narrowed her eyes as Jackson Moore rooted in Doris’s handbag once again, bringing out a small packet of tablets which he took over to her.
‘How kind you are,’ she told him. ‘You two have met, haven’t you?’
Mia’s face softened a little as she joined them by the window and Jackson gave her a tight smile. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Are you all right, Doris? Can I get you anything?’
‘No, thank you, my dear. This kind man brought me a glass of water and I have my tablets now.’
Mia sat on a chair next to her. ‘It’s been an exciting day, hasn’t it?’
‘Oh, yes!’ Doris said. ‘I was going to have a rest in my room but I didn’t feel like the climb upstairs.’
‘I can help you,’ Jackson Moore said.
Doris shook her head. ‘That’s so kind of you but I think I’ll just close my eyes here for a little while.’
Mia watched as Doris shut her eyes. Jackson Moore walked over to the door and picked up Doris’s handbag and brought it over to her.
‘Can I get you anything, Mia?’ he asked, stroking his dense moustache.
She shook her head, disliking the sound of her name on his tongue. ‘No, thank you,’ she said.
‘You know, you look just like my daughter,’ he told her.
Mia winced. ‘Really?’ she said.
He nodded thoughtfully. ‘She has exactly the same sulky look as you do.’
Mia’s mouth dropped open at his rudeness and she watched as he left the room. ‘Well, I-’ she paused as Doris opened an eye.
‘Isn’t he a character?’ she giggled.
‘Yes!’ Mia said. ‘The sort of character that any author would make sure gets his comeuppance!’
Chapter 15
Mia didn’t usually take an afternoon nap but there was something about sitting in that quiet room with Doris that made her nod off and, when she awoke, Doris was gone.
She got up and stretched and that’s when she became aware of the raised voices - voices that were filled with anxiety.
‘She just fell!’ somebody shouted.
‘She’s so pale. Someone call an ambulance!’
‘She’s had a heart attack!’
Mia opened the door into the hallway and saw the crowd at the bottom of the stairs. She pushed her way through and let out a cry as she saw the body on the floor. It was Doris Norris and her eyes were closed and her face deadly white.
Panic ensued as people talked over each other.
‘We need to call an
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