Free Saving Willowbrook by Anna Jacobs

then I’ll get the food and set another place.’
    But when he’d gone to sit down, she fled first to the sink, where she could splash her hot face with cool water and tell herself she could handle this.
    For a few moments Rose gave in to the temptation to lean against Oliver. But then suddenly she remembered the way he’d left her without a word. Pulling away, she stiffened her spine. ‘Sorry. Just a momentary weakness.’ She turned to check the metal box again.
    â€˜You’re still too independent, Rose.’ He watched what she was doing, lip curling scornfully. ‘And you always were more concerned about your painting project than about anything else.’
    She couldn’t find the energy to argue.
    Then people began clambering over the van and someone called, ‘You all right, Rose?’
    â€˜I’m fine.’ But she stayed where she was, too wobbly still to risk clambering out across the rubble. She watched as they used the jaws of life to cut open the van door, rubbing her forehead, which was hurting.
    Oliver pried her hand away and said in his doctor’s voice, ‘Let me see.’
    Still feeling weak and boneless, she let him.
    â€˜Just a small gash. No need for stitches, but we’ll make sure it’s clean as soon as we can get you out of here.’
    By then Brett was stirring. He looked round the van, bleary-eyed. ‘What happened?’
    â€˜Stay where you are, sir. Don’t move.’
    But being Brett, he ignored that and tried to get out of his vehicle. He had to wait until they’d pulled away the pieces of his door, then found himself facing a policeman.
    â€˜Would you blow into this, please, sir?’
    He reared back. ‘No way! I’m injured. I need to go to hospital.’
    â€˜Are you refusing to take a breathalyser test?’
    Brett tried to push past him, but the policeman caught his arm in a firm grip.
    â€˜If you don’t blow into this, we’ll have to take a blood sample. I can smell beer on your breath.’
    For a moment all hung in the balance then, with a growl of anger, Brett did as he was asked.
    â€˜You didn’t do that properly, sir. We’ll have to do it again. Now, continue to blow until I tell you to stop and make sure your breath goes into the tube properly.’
    When that was over, the police officer shook his head over the results and Brett insisted on seeing them.
    â€˜It’s wrong!’ he yelled, snatched the kit out of his hand and hurled it across the road.
    It took them a couple of minutes to subdue him and put him into the police car.
    â€˜He’ll go to the station, take a blood test, willingly or not, and be charged with driving under the influence,’ Rose said with relish.
    â€˜He doesn’t seem to have improved with keeping.’
    â€˜No, he hasn’t.’
    One of the policemen came over to Oliver. ‘You were driving the second car, sir, I believe?’ Then he smiled. ‘Oliver Paige. I thought you’d left Chawton for good.’
    â€˜No, just for a few years. Nice to see you again, Chad.’
    â€˜I have to ask you to take a breathalyser test, I’m afraid.’
    â€˜Sure. Happy to oblige.’
    Rose watched as Oliver complied and was cleared of drinking. He had the faintest of American accents now, after his years in the States. She’d not heard that he was coming back, and she usually picked up all the gossip at the pub. What was he doing here? She hoped he’d not be staying long in Chawton.
    She waited for him to leave but he didn’t. He watched as they towed away the van and fastened a tarpaulin over the gaping hole in her wall, then turned to her. ‘This is one of my father’s cottages, isn’t it?’
    â€˜You know it is.’
    â€˜You won’t be able to stay here while it’s being repaired.’ He stared round. ‘Was this your studio?’
    She nodded. ‘And I’d rather