‘I wrote to him. It’s a long story, but among other things I told him I’d met a lovely lady when I was on a retreat, and she was planning a trip to Myanmar. I even told him which boat she was travelling on and said how I would love to go too.’

‘Did you tell him the dates of the Myanmar trip?’

‘No. I wasn’t sure of them. Thea said they were planning to go some time in January. Do you think he was looking for me? No one knows where I am.’

I don’t know what to tell her, but before I get a chance to say anything the shutters come down. She turns towards me and glares. ‘Why are you asking so many questions? Are you spying on me?’

I can’t believe the change in her. ‘I don’t know what you mean. I’m not spying, I promise you.’

‘Are you one of them? Have they sent you to make sure I’m not breaking the rules?’

‘Why would you think that?’

She picks up the photo she was looking at when I came into the room and hands it to me, watching my eyes.

‘What?’ I ask.

‘She looks like you,’ she says.

I look more closely at the photograph of the two women. Hannah has a point. If you strip away the heavy flicked fringe and the bushy hair of the young girl, she does look a bit like me – similar mouth and nose, for sure. ‘Where did you get this?’

‘I took it from upstairs this morning. It was in Thea’s drawer.’

I gape at her with astonishment. It seems so unlike anything she would do. ‘Why?’

‘I was putting things away, and it was under a book. Most of it was covered – only the lower half of the face was showing – and I thought it was a picture of you so I pulled it out to look. I know it’s not – it’s too old – but what are you to them? Are you here to check up on the rest of us?’

I shake my head. ‘Of course not. I have no idea who this woman is. I’d never met Thea and the doctor in my life until I went on holiday. I really don’t know who she is.’

Hannah raises her huge eyes to mine, and I can see she is wondering whether to believe me.

‘I know who she is,’ she says finally. ‘Turn it over.’

I flip the photo and read the back.

July 1971

Thea and Judith Atwell

CHAPTER 44

44

For Tom the day had dragged. He had heard nothing from Louisa, and Jack had disappeared on some mysterious business of his own, promising to be back that evening.