Mr Archer pointed a finger in the air and silently began counting heads. ‘Thirteen,’ he said out loud. ‘OK, today I have a special assignment for you. For the handful of you who were not evacuees, I want you to write a story pretending you were. How would you feel leaving your parents? Your pets? Use your imagination. As for the thirteen of you who were evacuated and have since returned, I want to hear every detail about your experiences. Where did you stay? What was the area and family like? Describe them in detail. Did you make any new friends?’

An image of Ivan flashing through her mind, Queenie was mortified as her breakfast flew out of her mouth with such force, some landed on Kenneth Holmes’s back.

Kenneth leapt up. ‘Urgh, ya dirty moo.’

As other classmates held their noses in disgust and murmured noises and words of distaste, an embarrassed Queenie knew she had to get out of there.

Yelling ‘Sorry’, she ran from the classroom in tears.

Mary O’Leary was chatting to her hairdresser Rosemary when she saw Queenie running hell for leather on the other side of the road. ‘Queenie! You all right?’

Stopping in her tracks, Queenie burst into tears. She couldn’t stand it any longer, the shame was burning inside her and she felt as though she didn’t want to live.

Excusing herself to Rosemary, Mary ran across the road. ‘Whatever’s wrong?’

‘Everything. I can’t go on, Mary. Just leave me. Leave me alone.’

Seeing Queenie was shaking, Mary gathered her firmly into her arms. ‘You’ve not been yourself since you returned from the Briggs’. What happened there? You know you can trust me, Queenie.’

‘Nothing. Nothing happened,’ wept Queenie.

Remembering what Patrick had told her, Mary held Queenie’s cheeks and looked her in the eyes. ‘It’s that Ivan, isn’t it? What did he do to you, darling?’

‘He—’ Queenie sobbed.

‘Did he touch you inappropriately? You must tell me, lovey. A trouble shared is a trouble halved.’

Queenie nodded furiously. ‘Yes. He touched me.’

Once inside the O’Learys’ house, a tot of brandy in her hand, and urged on by Mary, Queenie found it a relief to finally spill her guts. She explained what had happened with Ivan, how she’d tried to get away from him and how dirty and horrible she’d felt ever since.

The news didn’t come as a shock to Mary. Patrick had reported back that Ivan was a weirdo and he reckoned he was the problem. However, Mary’s heart broke as she made Queenie endless cups of sweet tea, held her in her arms and reassured her that none of this was her fault, she would help her through it.

‘You won’t tell anybody, will you? I don’t want Daniel to know, or Patrick – or anyone. I’d feel too embarrassed. Oh, the shame of what he did to me Mary, please—’

Mary stroked Queenie’s hair. ‘Of course not, angel. But you did right telling me. I can help you. I know it doesn’t feel like it at the moment, but in time, things will get better for you.’