Shelter In Your Love (Beatles Fan Fiction)

75. All Things Must Pass

'I don't know, love. I know as much as you do. I only found out when I got here. Is he there, Dennis? Is anyone?'

'No. I'm on my own. Dennis took Mrs Roberts into Henley. It's Emma's day off. It's just me.'

'Where's Bobbie?'

Bobbie!

In my panic, I've completely forgotten to watch her. I drop the phone and run out of the open front door. To my immense relief, Bobbie is still where I left her. She's dozed off, lying on her baby blanket in the shade of the oak tree. It's sunny and warm and she'd normally be having her afternoon nap by now. I snatch her up and hug her to my chest. Bobbie immediately starts to cry at being awoken so roughly and rudely. I carry her back to the house, Bobbie crying and me sobbing along with her.

I can hear George calling my name through the telephone from where it lies on the floor. I pull it up by the cord and trap the receiver between my shoulder and ear, as I rock and bounce Bobbie, trying to calm her when I feel anything but calm myself.

'Hannah, what the hell happened?!' George shouts, when I answer him.

'Nothing. I'd left her outside, that's all.'

'Alone?'

'She's fine. She was asleep. She's crying because I've woken her up.'

He pauses, taking a breath and swallowing so he can sound level and even when he says, 'Hannah, don't... Look, don't worry. I'm coming back home now. Just wait for me--'

'I can't, George! I can't just sit here! What can I do?'

'You can look after Bobbie. That's all you need to do. Just concentrate on the baby and I'll be home as soon as I can. Try not to worry, I'm sure Minnie will be fine. We'll find her and you'll see and then you'll feel daft for panicking so much.'

I sniff and hug Bobbie tighter. 'Okay,' I agree, in a small voice. 'Hurry, George. Please.'

*

By the time George arrives at Friar Park Mrs Roberts and Dennis have returned from Henley too. Dennis offered to drive me to Minnie's, but George was already on his way. I want George, anyway. I don't know what to expect when we get to Wandsworth, but whatever it is, I want George to be with me. I can't go there with a stranger.

I've rung around anyone I can think of that knows Minnie. I rang John at his flat in the city, but the line has been disconnected. I tried Kenwood as well, but that just rang out. I don't think he's moved into Tittenhurst Park yet, but I don't have the phone number for there. I'm holding onto the hope that Minnie might be with John. If she didn't come to me, she would go to him. It's only when George come home that he reminds me John is in Scotland currently with Yoko and Julian and Yoko's daughter. He should have come back by now, but he crashed his car into a ditch up there a couple of days ago and they've kept him in hospital for observation. How could I forget? I burst into tears again and George has to hold me for a moment before I can even think about leaving the house.

Mrs Roberts offers to take care of Bobbie for us and George and I head towards South London. It takes an agonising hour and a half to get to Wandsworth, and I don't even know if Minnie's going to be there.

The radio in the car is full of news about Brian. George tries to turn it off but I won't let him. I want to know every detail there is, but the information is maddeningly scarce. It's just the basic facts, repeated over and over on the o'clock and half-hour bulletins.

'Our headlines today, the death of Rolling Stones guitarist, Brian Jones. Jones was found drowned in his swimming pool at his home in Hartfield, East Sussex in the early hours of this morning...'