She pulled on a pair of jeans and packed her dress into her bag. She brushed her teeth again and emerged to find Stuart reading his book next door. ‘Did you sleep?’ he asked.

‘A bit. Thank you.’

‘You looked like you needed it.’

‘I did.’

‘Cup of tea?’

‘Why not? I might actually drink it this time.’

He went to the kitchen and returned with a sandwich as well as tea. ‘I figured you’d probably need to eat.’

She was ravenous, so she didn’t argue with him. He watched her eat in silence. She finished, and sipped her tea. She was aware his eyes had yet to leave her face. There was a hunger in them she’d not seen since the first days of their courtship. She tried to suppress the wave of pleasure it brought. And in that moment, she knew he would do absolutely anything she asked. ‘I understand if you don’t want to do this and I wouldn’t blame you. But could you drive me to the border?’

‘Where?’

‘Finland. In fact, St Petersburg, because I need to pick up my hire car.’

‘Wouldn’t it be quicker or easier to fly or catch the train? I can come with you to help allay suspicion if that’s the issue, but it’s a very long—’

‘I’d rather go by road and I’m in no fit state to make the drive alone, as you can probably tell.’

He looked at her for what felt like an age, his mind evidently turning over this strange twist of fate. ‘I’d do anything for you,’ he said. ‘Anything at all.’

Kate went to the window and looked out once more. The van had moved off. She scanned the street outside carefully, sweeping one way, then the other. If they were still watching her – and they must be – she could not see how. ‘All right, then,’ she said. ‘Let’s go.’

‘Now?’

‘Yes.’

22

22

BEFORE THEY LEFT Moscow, Kate said she needed to go to a chemist. Stuart was resistant: if she really was in trouble, shouldn’t they leave straight away? But Kate was adamant and would not give a reason. In the end, he took it in mute silence and she half suspected he guessed why it was a matter of such urgency. She bought a bottle of water and swallowed the morning-after pill before she got back to the car. The only thing that worried her was that the last time she’d relied on this last resort against an unwanted pregnancy – ironically on that skiing holiday to the Dolomites when they’d supposedly been using condoms until they’d both got too drunk on the last night – she had bled profusely and for a long time. She’d also bought two large packets of sanitary towels.