The café they went to was a buzz of excited chatter, and later, at the Odeon in Leicester Square, there was a special newsreel. Once the film started she sat back and watched the epic Spartacus. The outside world faded as she became completely absorbed in the story, and she didn’t even protest when Jim put his arm around her. When they came out, it was drizzling and Jim hurried her across the road. ‘Let’s have a drink.’ She agreed readily enough. It had been a pleasant evening, and she was not eager for it to end just yet. She became edgy when night fell, and welcomed the bright lights of town and the sound of people enjoying themselves. The worst time for her was the middle of the night, when the house was still. She would wake suddenly with a cry, believing she was back in that awful room and feeling that animal’s hands on her … She drew in several deep breaths to try to calm her racing heart. Was she ever going to be able to put this nightmare behind her? She was still sleeping with the bedside light on and was deeply ashamed of herself.
