Free A Place of Hope by Anna Jacobs

didn’t sound to be looking forward to the holiday he’d won, in fact, she’d guess he’d been postponing it. He wasn’t the sort to go on holiday to Brighton.
    In the end, desperate to get rid of him, she said she had to use the bathroom.
    ‘I’ll say goodbye then, Auntie dear. I don’t want to tire you out. You’re looking rather pale. You should have a nice nap now. I’ll see you next Tuesday. Oh, and by the way, Rachel won’t be coming to see you again. I’m not having her upsetting you.’
    ‘Mind your own business, George, and don’t you dare tell Rachel not to come.’
    ‘You
are
my business now.’ He leaned forward, grabbing her wrist and holding it tightly, as he slammed her against the wall. He spoke in a whisper but his words were no less threatening for that. ‘And you’d be wise,
dear . . . Auntie . . .
to do as I suggest. As my mother does. If it comes to a struggle, you really are no match for me, physically or mentally.’
    She was still staring at him in shock as he let go of her and left the room with a loud, cheerful farewell.
    He’d just been threatening her. And he was such a big man, she’d felt extremely intimidated. Whatever happened, she didn’t intend to follow her sister’s example and let George get his hands on her life and money.
    But why was he so certain he could continue to control her? What else was he planning?
    And why did she think he couldn’t carry out his threat? He’d been controlling her against her wishes for the past few weeks, hadn’t he?
    She and Chad were certainly seeing the dark side of the health system here. How was Pauline getting away with it? And why was she doing it?
    She remembered the envelope that George had given Pauline. A bribe?
    How much money would it take to persuade a trained nurse to behave so badly? Had Pauline been doing it for a while? Was she going to take off into the wide blue yonder when she had enough saved?
    So many things to worry about.
    But Emily wasn’t going to give up. And she wasn’t going to leave Chad behind. He had been such a comfort to her. She felt as if she’d known him for years.
    Afterwards, she hoped . . . She could feel herself blushing at what she hoped for from Chad.
    Emily waited until the middle of the night then rang Rachel, praying the battery on the mobile phone would last long enough. ‘Look, George is going away this weekend. Could you come and pick me and a friend up on Friday night? Well, Saturday really by then. About one o’clock in the morning.’
    ‘Of course I can.’
    ‘Wait for me in the northern car park.’ Chad had found a map of the campus near the lift and had figured that was the nearest car park.
    ‘Yes, I can do that and—’ There was a burst of static then nothing more from Rachel. Emily tried to dial again, but the phone was dead. Its battery must have run out completely.
    She could only trust that her friend would be waiting for her outside the hospital the next night.

Four
    There was a knock on the door on the Thursday morning and when Rachel opened it, she found Emily’s nephew George standing there. She didn’t like her temporary neighbour, especially after what her friend had told her about him, and tended to avoid him. ‘Yes?’
    ‘Don’t try to visit my aunt again. Your visit upset her.’
    ‘No, it didn’t. She was glad to see me.’
    ‘I’m asking you
very politely
not to go to the hospital again.’
    ‘I shall definitely keep going to see my friend.’
    He leaned forward, thrusting his face very close to hers. ‘I don’t want to have to get more forceful about this.’
    She took a step backwards, suddenly afraid of the look on his face.
    He smiled. ‘You’re beginning to understand how deeply I care about my family.
I
will look after them.
You
will mind your own business.’ He turned to leave, but stopped to toss back at her, ‘I hope you decide to be sensible. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt. You’ll see what I mean.’
    Then he turned and