Every time the phone rang at reception he tensed up. By 9.30 he was pacing up and down and continually going to the door. Eventually, to his immense relief, he saw her coming up the steps, looking fresh and wholesome and wonderful. He rushed out to meet her. ‘Hi.’ She paused, smiled up at him. ‘Good morning. Did you sleep all right?’ ‘No – you?’ ‘No.’ They grinned ruefully at each other, then she became serious. ‘Bill, can we have a coffee? I need to say something – while I’m clear-headed and resolute.’ Anxiety descended on him like a ton weight. ‘What’s the matter?’ Mary suddenly realized from his face that he was suspecting all sorts of things. ‘Oh no – I just need to – well, talk.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Right. Shall we have it here?’ ‘No, there’s a place round the corner I use.’ They walked together, not touching, through a street of people in drab, shabby clothing, past a torn poster exhorting the populace to ‘Dig for Victory’.
What do You think about Beneath Us The Stars (2012)?
