Don't Breathe a Word by Penny Kline

Author:Penny Kline [Kline, Penny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780340660973
Amazon: 034066097X
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Published: 1996-06-02T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Since Tessie knew nothing about Josh Bowen it was difficult for Karen to explain why she had accompanied him in the ambulance, then visited him in hospital.

‘I was the only person at the scene of the accident who knew who he was.’

‘Lucky you were there,’ said Tessie suspiciously.

‘Yes.’ They were sitting on Tessie’s bed and things felt almost like they used to be, before she had become so involved with the petition. Karen had been dying to tell her about Peter Quayle, how they’d sat together in the back of a taxi, then how he had insisted on buying her a coffee. ‘It was Peter Quayle’s car,’ she said, ‘only it wasn’t his fault, Josh just ran out into the road.’

‘Peter Quayle? You mean the man who lives in Stockwood House? I saw him on the telly not long ago. He’s awful, really conceited.’

‘No, he’s not at all like that,’ said Karen. ‘Anyway, I’d be quite pleased with myself if I’d started all those businesses.’

Tessie screwed up her nose. ‘You’d have to be really hard to be that successful. Anyway, I just think about poor Esme. She used to lie awake at night, wondering which room he slept in and whether the old bath and basin had been replaced by a new ivory suite with gold taps.’

Karen laughed, but Tessie obviously didn’t think it was funny.

‘She really disliked him. I think she felt he’d stolen her old home.’

‘But that’s ridiculous,’ said Karen. ‘Anyway, she and Peter never actually met.’

Tessie stared at her. ‘Yes, they did. At the County Show. Esme always went to it, to make sure the animals were being properly looked after. When she was there last year Peter Quayle came up to her and introduced himself.’

‘You’re sure about that?’

‘Yes, of course I’m sure. I remember her saying how he’d gone on and on about the house and how wonderful it was. It really upset her.’

‘I expect he was trying to be kind. I expect he wanted her to know how much he appreciated it.’ But Karen was wondering why Peter had lied to her. Perhaps she had misunderstood, he had just meant he didn’t know Esme Fitch well. Perhaps he had forgotten about the County Show.

‘Esme thought he was deliberately rubbing it in,’ said Tessie.

‘That’s silly, he was only being friendly. Anyway, I like him.’

‘Bit old for you, isn’t he?’

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake. Anyway, what about you and Billy Henderson, he looks at least twenty-two.’

‘He’s twenty,’ said Tessie, ‘and I told you before, he’s just someone who shares the same interests, thinks there’s more to life than buying lots of clothes and CDs.’

Karen decided not to mention the fact that Tessie had at least three times as many clothes as she did. Instead, she asked where Billy lived.

‘In a room in a house in Southfield Road. His parents own a big house in one of those villages a few miles off the motorway, but Billy doesn’t really get on with them. He thinks that in about ten years time everything will have changed.

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