As Penny pulled away, she looked Alice directly in the eyes and clasped her hands. “We’re going to look after you. Have you seen a doctor?”

Alice shook her head.

“Right, that’s first, then I want to know about the father and what he’s going to do to help.”

In her mind’s eye Alice saw fragments of Rupert’s face, his mouth flashing in front of her, his eyes wild as he straddled her, laughing as if it were a joke. She felt so ashamed, and she didn’t know what was worse: that she’d let it happen, or that she’d believed his lies and thought she was the only one.

Penny said, “Ah, was he someone at work . . . the one you told me about?”

Alice nodded and kept on nodding; she couldn’t stop.

“It’s okay, Alice, it’s okay.” Penny moved a comforting hand to Alice’s shoulder until she grew still again.

From the corner of her eye, Alice noticed the young serviceman stand up to leave, the other diners glancing in their direction. Penny followed her gaze and then turned back to Alice. “Don’t you worry about them—they’ve seen everything there is to see. And they’re friends.” She smiled. “I’m taking you upstairs for a bath and some rest, and I bet you need a cold compress and some cabbage leaves. Then we’re going to talk about what we’re going to do.”

“So, it’s still all right for me to stay, then?”

“Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“It’s just . . .” Alice dropped her head. “It doesn’t matter.” Her humiliation felt as visible as her grubby clothes, and she worried Penny could see it too—and that Michael wouldn’t approve when he found out why she was there.

“No one should have been through what you have, Alice, no one. You can stay here as long as you want. And you must say if there’s anything you need, anything at all we can do to help.”

“I will . . . and thank you.” It was as if a weight had lifted, and Alice knew it had been the right thing to come here.

Penny was still shaking her head. “It’s horrific. Truly horrific. I can’t believe your mother could be so cruel. Are you sure the police can’t do anything more?”

“They said it will take time—there are so many missing people. They told me to be patient and not try to do anything myself.”

“And of course you’re going to ignore them,” Penny said with a small smile. “So, where are you going to start?”

“Well, where would you go if you desperately wanted a baby?”

Penny looked aghast. “The adoption agency—I think they’re called the National Children Adoption Association.”