a few screws. My mother probably put them there.’
Jessica laughed and Lucas was fascinated by the change in her features when she laughed. Her smile was dimpled and delightful, her rosy lips enchanting, her teeth perfect. But it was the deep-blue eyes that drew him more than anything. Theysparkled like sapphires, like gems; priceless. How appalling if anything happened to these beautiful eyes. He could not replace them.
‘You will be careful when you drive, won’t you?’ he said without expression.
‘Of course, I’m always careful. It’s the other drivers who are careless and impatient. Especially those without any tax or insurance.’
‘Will you have time this morning for quick trial drive in the Austin, just to get used to it? I could come with you. Twenty minutes at the most. But I do have to go back to the hospital to check on my patient.’
Jessica did quick mental calculations, some part of her alarmed at being so close to him in the front of the small car. ‘Thanks. I think it’s mobile library day at the village. I could get Lady Grace some new books. And some for the children. Did you know that Daniel can’t read properly yet?’
‘He’s having special help at school. His writing is poor as well. It’s all over the place.’
‘I could do a little work with him, every evening, five minutes say. Nothing too arduous. Little and often, one to one, often works the best.’
‘Thank you. That might help. It’s an epidemic, you know. There never used to be so many autistic children. Daniel seemed to develop normally for the first eighteen to twenty-four months then he somehow lost his skill. It’s a regression in ability. Some autistic children never speak, but Daniel can if he wants to. He has a limited vocabulary.’
‘He repeats back what you’ve just said,’ said Jessica.
‘It’s called echolalia or parrot back. He either repeats back immediately or maybe hours or days later, completely out of context, in an unrelated situation. Sometimes he picks up a phrase from the television or an advert and says it over and over again. It’s very strange.’
Lucas’s strong features were fractured with anguish. This was his son, his first born, and he shuddered at the thought ofthe boy’s future.
‘We know autism is on the rise. There’s no explanation. He hates noise, bright light, crowds. It makes him worse.’
‘Autistic children often have some talent in a totally different and unexpected direction. We’ve simply got to find what it is that Daniel can do,’ said Jessica, aware that Lucas’s pain was as raw as her own. ‘He will have some talent. We’ve got to find it. Perhaps his guardian angel will guide us.’
Only her pain was the emotion of being discarded ruthlessly, and in public, by the man she thought she had loved. The humiliation of it was still vivid in her mind. It would take years for the memory to heal. How innocent she had been that evening. Led to the slaughter. In an expensive red silk dress. A dress that she had later bundled up and thrown away.
Lucas’s strong fingers suddenly laced hers in a firm grip. ‘Thank you, Jessica. I think I’ve found Daniel’s angel.’
Jessica laughed again but this time most of her sparkle had gone.
‘Lily won’t think so when she finds that I have cut out cakes and jam at teatime. It’s apples and pears from now on. She’s consuming well over eighteen hundred calories a day at the moment. She’s becoming a plump little girl.’
‘She’ll grow out of it. I like Mrs Harris’s home-made cake.’
‘You can eat as much as you like. There’s not a superfluous ounce on you.’
Lucas grinned. ‘And how would you know, Miss Willdo? When have you seen any of my superfluous ounces?’
Jessica coloured. The words had come out without thinking. She turned away and hurried indoors. ‘Walkies time,’ she said, trying to cover her embarrassment.
‘Shall I bring a lead?’ Lucas asked from the foot of the stairs.
‘I need
Jessica laughed and Lucas was fascinated by the change in her features when she laughed. Her smile was dimpled and delightful, her rosy lips enchanting, her teeth perfect. But it was the deep-blue eyes that drew him more than anything. Theysparkled like sapphires, like gems; priceless. How appalling if anything happened to these beautiful eyes. He could not replace them.
‘You will be careful when you drive, won’t you?’ he said without expression.
‘Of course, I’m always careful. It’s the other drivers who are careless and impatient. Especially those without any tax or insurance.’
‘Will you have time this morning for quick trial drive in the Austin, just to get used to it? I could come with you. Twenty minutes at the most. But I do have to go back to the hospital to check on my patient.’
Jessica did quick mental calculations, some part of her alarmed at being so close to him in the front of the small car. ‘Thanks. I think it’s mobile library day at the village. I could get Lady Grace some new books. And some for the children. Did you know that Daniel can’t read properly yet?’
‘He’s having special help at school. His writing is poor as well. It’s all over the place.’
‘I could do a little work with him, every evening, five minutes say. Nothing too arduous. Little and often, one to one, often works the best.’
‘Thank you. That might help. It’s an epidemic, you know. There never used to be so many autistic children. Daniel seemed to develop normally for the first eighteen to twenty-four months then he somehow lost his skill. It’s a regression in ability. Some autistic children never speak, but Daniel can if he wants to. He has a limited vocabulary.’
‘He repeats back what you’ve just said,’ said Jessica.
‘It’s called echolalia or parrot back. He either repeats back immediately or maybe hours or days later, completely out of context, in an unrelated situation. Sometimes he picks up a phrase from the television or an advert and says it over and over again. It’s very strange.’
Lucas’s strong features were fractured with anguish. This was his son, his first born, and he shuddered at the thought ofthe boy’s future.
‘We know autism is on the rise. There’s no explanation. He hates noise, bright light, crowds. It makes him worse.’
‘Autistic children often have some talent in a totally different and unexpected direction. We’ve simply got to find what it is that Daniel can do,’ said Jessica, aware that Lucas’s pain was as raw as her own. ‘He will have some talent. We’ve got to find it. Perhaps his guardian angel will guide us.’
Only her pain was the emotion of being discarded ruthlessly, and in public, by the man she thought she had loved. The humiliation of it was still vivid in her mind. It would take years for the memory to heal. How innocent she had been that evening. Led to the slaughter. In an expensive red silk dress. A dress that she had later bundled up and thrown away.
Lucas’s strong fingers suddenly laced hers in a firm grip. ‘Thank you, Jessica. I think I’ve found Daniel’s angel.’
Jessica laughed again but this time most of her sparkle had gone.
‘Lily won’t think so when she finds that I have cut out cakes and jam at teatime. It’s apples and pears from now on. She’s consuming well over eighteen hundred calories a day at the moment. She’s becoming a plump little girl.’
‘She’ll grow out of it. I like Mrs Harris’s home-made cake.’
‘You can eat as much as you like. There’s not a superfluous ounce on you.’
Lucas grinned. ‘And how would you know, Miss Willdo? When have you seen any of my superfluous ounces?’
Jessica coloured. The words had come out without thinking. She turned away and hurried indoors. ‘Walkies time,’ she said, trying to cover her embarrassment.
‘Shall I bring a lead?’ Lucas asked from the foot of the stairs.
‘I need
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