Conversation was not allowed, the rattle of knives and forks being the only sound in the room.

Kate felt the knot in her stomach, just below her ribs, tightening. She took a mouthful of meat and began to chew. The meat was tough and tasteless. Her mouth was dry; she could not swallow it.

‘Please may I have a glass of water?’

The Principal spoke but the words were completely unintelligible to Kate. ‘En français, s’il te plait.’

Kate stared blankly at her. Even sitting down the woman looked tall and imposing, with lips so pursed there was hardly any mouth at all. Further down the table came a stifled giggle which prompted a stony glare from Miss Denham.

There was no way Kate could understand what was being said to her and even less chance of her replying. She bent her head and ate some of the vegetables instead. They had been over-cooked to a mushy pulp. She felt the bile rise into her throat with revulsion. Setting her knife and fork neatly together at the edge of the plate, Kate folded her hands in her lap.

She would eat no more.

‘Mange!’ In the silence of the room, Miss Denham’s voice boomed, audible to all.

Kate fixed her gaze upon a picture on the wall opposite to where she was sitting, yet she could feel every eye in the room was turned in her direction. She was aware that only one face was perhaps turned upon her with any expression of sympathy and that was Miss Ogden’s, who was seated just below the picture.

‘Katharine Hilton, mange – maintenant!’

The nervous knot in Kate’s stomach hardened into anger. Her green eyes swivelled from the picture and sparked fire.

‘I dun’t know what you are saying to me. I dun’t understand French.’

A shocked gasp reverberated around the room.

Kate stood up, her chair scraping on the wooden floor.

‘Assieds-toi, immédiatement!’

Kate realized she was probably being ordered to sit down, but she had said she could not understand and now she had to carry it through. She left her place and marched down the length of the room, pulled open the heavy door and went through it. It swung to behind her with an echoing thud. The hall was dark and dismal, with only low wall lights burning. Kate shuddered, lifted her skirt above her knees and scampered up the two flights of stairs to the dormitory.

It was worse there. The long room was in complete darkness with only a glimmer of light coming from the high, barred windows at the far end. Kate rushed towards them. If only she could see out, she might feel better. If she could see the garden, trees, hear the birds . . .

She stood below the windows craning her neck backwards, but all she could see was pale grey light through the grime.