Donna had emerged as a mature woman, and the knowledge terrified Georgio because he knew he couldn’t handle her as an equal. He could never accept any woman in that way. The worst part of it all was that he knew he had to grovel to her for now, had to tell her exactly what she wanted to hear in order to placate her. It was what Donna had had to do to keep him throughout her married life . . . but Georgio decided not to think about that. Instead he put a smile on his face, but as he spoke to her, a seed of discontent grew inside him as he saw himself, in his mind, debased by and before her.

‘I said I’m sorry, Donna, what more can I do? I was a fool, I know. I’m jealous, that’s all. You don’t know what it’s like banged up in here night after night, knowing you’re outside, able to do what you want. I love you more than life itself. I can’t help feeling insecure in the knowledge that you’re a beautiful woman who men want and desire. I know blokes who’d give ten years of their lives for a woman as good as you, only half as good as you. Please tell me you forgive me. I couldn’t stand it if we parted company today with this between us. Honestly, Don Don, it would kill me.’

Donna looked at Georgio through new eyes and was surprised to note that his impassioned plea had not reduced her to a quivering wreck as it would have done at any time before he went away. The knowledge hurt her, even while she felt exhilarated by the fact she was strong now. Stronger than she had ever been at any time in her life. As she looked into his eyes she thought: Is this all I had to do to get him to notice me? Should I have made him jealous over the years? Should I have fought back when he was unfaithful? Was it all really this easy? Just let him think I was being approached by another good-looking man?

Suddenly, she felt the futility of what her life had been with this man. She had loved him with every ounce of her being and he had haphazardly loved her back. She had been grateful to him for every scrap of affection he had shown her over the years, believing that he was in charge. He was the leader in their marriage, in their relationship. The knowledge stunned her in its simplicity. It was so easy and she had never before realised it. Now he was looking at her as if she was indeed his wife. He was looking at her as a woman and it felt so good. It felt so very, very good.

She smiled at him, a wide smile that didn’t reach her perfectly made-up eyes.