Tony must still be in Cambridge. He was a Fellow of his College now.... Suddenly conscious of his being very near, somewhere round the next corner perhaps, she dived for shelter into the tea-shop.
The young waitress came towards her with a smile; at sight of the pleasure and greeting in her face, Judith felt a weight lift.
‘Your usual table?’ she said in her soft voice.
‘Yes. I’m expecting my friend. You remember her.’
‘Yes, indeed I do. That’s nice.’
She led the way to the table in the corner, beneath the window, lingered a little chatting, and then was called away.
Nearly four o’clock. Jennifer might be late: she always was.
The room was empty save for two women in the opposite corner, engrossed in the usual whispered tea-shop confidences. What warmth and colour Jennifer would bring with her when she came! Judith thought.
“I won’t look towards the door; I’ll look out of the window; and then suddenly I’ll turn round and she’ll be there.”
Where she sat, the purple curtain obscured her conveniently from the street; if she craned her neck forward a little she could just see round the curtain and out of the window. Over the large shop-front directly opposite, on the other side of the narrow street, the blue blind was drawn down; and the plated glass made a dark mirror. Within its space she watched a shadow-show of people passing to and fro.