Return to Bluebell Hill by Rebecca Pugh

Author:Rebecca Pugh [Pugh, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781474035576
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2015-12-29T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Esme didn’t try to speak to her after their confrontation in the morning, and Jessica paced continuously around Bluebell House like a caged animal. Rueben didn’t know where to put himself and ended up watching her instead, concern causing his eyebrows to dip in the middle.

‘Jessica, I think you should go back to Esme,’ he reasoned as he watched her begin yet another circuit of the room. He was growing dizzy just watching her. ‘Talk to her. Try to stay calm. Ask her your questions.’ Rueben glanced at her worriedly. She looked pale, anxious, and she hadn’t stopped chewing on her lip since he’d let go of her in the hallway earlier on. ‘I’m going to make you something to eat, okay? You need to eat.’ He gave a firm nod and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Jessica alone.

What was she supposed to do? Jessica wondered. Sit and eat a sandwich like nothing had happened? Like her life hadn’t just been turned upside down? Like she hadn’t just found out that the people who she thought were her parents, the people whose funeral she’d attended, were not, in fact, her parents at all? Slowly creeping towards becoming hysterical, she paused in her pacing of the empty lounge, placed a hand against the fireplace to steady herself, and swallowed. If they hadn’t been her parents, then who the hell were they? Had there been any connection between them at all? Were the McAdams just two people who had fostered her? Were they related? Had she been living with strangers for the entirety of her life? If so, where were her real parents? Where was her biological mother, Helen? Was she still alive? Why had she sent postcards from Paris? What the bloody hell was going on here? She felt like someone had just pulled up a rug up from beneath her feet and sent her flying into a completely new world where nothing made sense.

‘Here you go.’ Rueben forced a plate of sandwiches towards her when he returned and stared at her sternly. ‘Eat. And while you’re doing that, I’m going to tell Esme to come to Bluebell House. No! Don’t argue with me, and don’t look at me like that, either. If you don’t ask your questions, Jess, you’re never going to know the truth. And you’re just going to continue walking around and around this room, sending yourself crazy. It needs to be done, and you’ll thank me for it afterwards. Now, eat, and I’ll be back after I’ve phoned her.’

Holding the plateful of sandwiches, Jessica opened her mouth to argue against him, but then realised, as she closed it again and looked down at the food, that Rueben was right. She nodded, picked up a sandwich and took a bite, eyes remaining steadily on him as he left the room.

***

When Esme arrived later on, Rueben shoved his arms into his jacket, threw Jessica a meaningful look and left Bluebell House. She watched him leave, quelling the urge to call him back, then turned to Esme’s apologetic face.

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