Before he pushed through the doors and into the bright space beyond, he needed courage. He felt in his pocket, pulled out a cigarette and sparked it up. He was smiling at the words as he took two steps across the street, to where the hall door, miraculously, was opened for him. In the seconds the door was open, he tried to adjust to the glare. He had just enough time to get the impression of figures in movement, when a blonde girl pushed past him, out of the door and onto the street. He barely turned his head. He stayed with his hand on the door, transfixed by the warmth and movement of the room, trying to make out Verity or Peter. Then, something – the lingering breath of a familiar perfume, a clatter – made him turn and look back into the darkness of the rainy street. The girl was hurrying away, her coat billowing out behind her in the wind.

He realised, with a start, it was Muriel.

‘Muriel, are you all right? What—’

He looked back to the hall but the light from the dance glowed momentarily and the door swung shut.

‘Muriel, wait, I’ve got my bike…’

She turned and hesitated long enough for Arthur to pick up his fallen bike and run, dragging it down the street to draw level with her. Her hat was pulled down low over her hair and she looked past him, back to the hall. In the light of the moon, he saw that her face was shiny and flushed pink and her hair was falling out of the hat in bright blonde sprays, like the straw hair of a scarecrow.

‘Got a cigarette?’ she demanded and he produced one for her.

‘What are you following me for?’ she said, looking up at him with black smudges round her eyes, her red mouth smeared at the edges, her hand pushing her hair back under the hat.

‘I… I don’t know, I thought you looked upset… Has someone hurt you? Sorry.’

‘I should’ve expected it. He were never going for me, not with her around. What are you always sorry for anyway, Arthur Silver, you’ve done nothing wrong. Why do you always say sorry for everything?’ She seemed angry with him but he couldn’t think what he’d done. ‘She ent here, if that’s what you’re after.’

‘No, I… I don’t know… sorry.’

She laughed, showing her sharp little teeth. ‘You don’t know much, do you?’

‘No, I suppose not,’ he said, miserable that he hadn’t seen Verity and he was now standing out in the rain with Muriel Gittings laughing at him. ‘I was going to see you home, but I don’t have to.’

She gave him a proper smile. ‘No, I’m sorry, I was being raw, don’t worry about me.’