Belatedly, she realized she hadn’t relinquished Nora’s hand. Then again, Nora hadn’t let go of her hand, either. What did that mean? Was Nora feeling what she was feeling? Was she wondering too?

On screen, the end credits began to roll. Quickly, Mary withdrew her hand. The lights would be coming up any second now. What would happen if someone had seen them holding hands? Then, another thought, equally terrifying, crossed her mind. What are you going to do if Nora wants to discuss the movie? Panic welled within her. She hadn’t seen or heard a thing after the Nazi in the garden. You’ll look like an idiot. A woman like Nora wouldn’t be the least bit interested in someone who can’t hold a conversation or talk intelligently about a movie. Well, it was too late now. It wasn’t like she could rewind the last two hours and watch it again. She would have to fudge, that’s all there was to it.

“Did you like the movie?” They spilled out of the theater with the rest of the crowd and out into Jackson Square.

There it was. The very question she’d been dreading. “I really did.” Think quickly or you’re going to get caught out for not paying attention. Turn the tables on her. “What was your favorite part?” Mary quickened her pace to keep up with Nora’s longer strides.

“I particularly enjoyed the vicar’s speech at Carol’s funeral.”

“Yes, that was really moving.” There, that was no doubt true. Still, she knew she couldn’t keep up the charade for long. Perhaps if she changed the topic… “It’s a beautiful night, and it’s early yet. Would you like to take a stroll? We could look at the Christmas displays in the store windows.”

“Sure. Will you be warm enough?”

“I think so. How about you?”

“I’ll be fine.” Nora wrapped her coat more tightly around her as they slowed to a more leisurely pace. “Afterward, if you’d like, we could go back to my place and I’ll make a pot of coffee. That is, if it’s not too late for you.”

Mary’s pulse quickened. “I’d love that. I told the housemother I’d be out past curfew because of the movie.”

“I bet that went over well.” Nora rolled her eyes. “I lived in W-1 when I first moved here. That woman has all the personality of a corpse.”

She laughed. “Do you know many corpses?”

“No, but I’d bet they don’t smile much.”

To Mary’s delight, Nora imitated the housemother’s expression. “Wow. That’s spot-on. I’m impressed. Do you make it a habit to study people so closely?”

Nora shrugged. “When you’re as introverted as I am, you tend to watch rather than interact. I’ve been paying attention from the sidelines all my life.”