Hannah had been cautious about where she went after she finally managed to get away from Carl. He would look for her, she had no doubt about that. It was risky, but if she could see her family, that would be wonderful. The only thing to do, was observe the house from a safe distance. Every day for two weeks, a vigil had been kept. Carl had, finally appeared.
There had been a sense of him before he had actually appeared. A shiver ran down Hannah's spine as she felt his presence. Her heart betrayed her as it lurched at the sight of him. There was an instant magnetic draw which made her want to go to him. Clenching her fists and repeating the word "no" quietly, like a mantra, helped her to walk away. The escape had taken all her strength. The thought of Carl taking the baby from her arms helped to stiffen her resolve.
He would be inside smiling and chatting with her parents and Will. At least Midge would be growling at him. Within minutes they would be eating out of his hand. The chance to see her family was gone. With his powers of persuasion Carl would recruit her relatives onto his side and they would let him know if she visited them. Hannah was pretty sure that he would never stop looking for her.
Barely twenty years old, she had given birth and had her baby stolen, had now lost contact with her family and had no skills which would help her find employment. There was no money either. Hannah took a moment to consider her position. Here she was a few hundred feet from her family home, but she could not go inside. It was another reason to hate Carl and it added to her resolve to keep away from him.
Hannah turned and walked away from her home, tears running down her face, and set out on her own journey. The idea, that first occurred on the train, came back. It was the answer to her needs. Somewhere to rest, recover, and learn about herself. Heading towards Cartham, and then to Jane's house, she knocked on the door.
"Hannah, what a nice surprise. Come on in." Jane could see that there was something wrong.
"Thank you, Jane. I didn't know where else to go."
"I think you have ended up in the right place. I was sad to hear that you had left the village, but you're back now."
"A lot has happened."
"I'm sure it has. We can talk about it all later. For now, let's have a cup of tea and put our feet up."
Jane did not ask questions she just cared for Hannah. A cup of tea was in front of her within minutes and her suitcase was taken and deposited in the spare room. Jane had disliked and feared the brooding Carl and she had wondered if Hannah would ever be able to get away from him. Maybe he had tired of her and abandoned her.
The story of what had happened would be revealed in time, but for now Hannah needed comfort and love. Jane went to her kitchen, pulled out a big saucepan and began the process of making soup. It was good to have a guest in her home. It was good to have someone who needed her. Jane would do whatever she could to help Hannah to recover from her ordeal. Living with someone like Carl had almost certainly been traumatic.
Since her husband and parents had died Jane had lived alone. Never desperate to find another partner, she had been content with her own company. Now that Hannah had arrived, she realised how lonely she had been.
Her days had been spent doing research for a hobby, shopping, cooking and cleaning. Jane had conversations with neighbours and acquaintances, but of an evening she would be sat at home with her meal for one. Cooking a proper meal for two people was so wonderful. Even when they sat in the same room in silence absorbed in their own thoughts, it was comforting to have another person around.
Jane watched as Hannah began to unwind. There were things that she was not yet able to talk about, but there was no rush. Give the girl a chance to gain strength and sort out her thoughts first. It had felt right to have Hannah in her home and she had a sense that there was an adventure in the offing.