A Daughter’s Courage: A powerful, gritty new saga from the Sunday Times bestseller. Kitty Neale

arms, aware and embarrassed that the neighbours might see them cavorting in the street. ‘Let’s get a move on,’ she urged. ‘We don’t want to miss the best dances.’

      Robbie threw his arm over her shoulder and led her down the street. She felt so proud to be with him. He was different, well spoken and from a nicer part of the borough than where she lived. She admired him, though she’d heard rumours about Robbie seeing other women. She quickly quashed her niggling doubts, looking forward to meeting up with their friends in the local church hall.

      As they got closer to the dance venue, the sound of rock ’n’ roll floated through the air. Dorothy felt her excitement increase and was eager to dance with Robbie, but then she heard shouting over the sound of the music and recognised the raised voice of her friend Jimmy. It sounded like he was having an argument with Kimberley, his old school sweetheart who was now his wife.

      Robbie and Dorothy rounded a corner and came face to face with the quarrelling couple. She noticed that Kimberley quickly hung her head.

      ‘Talk of the devil,’ Jimmy spat.

      ‘It sounds like you two are having a bit of a tiff,’ Robbie said.

      ‘I wonder why that might be,’ Jimmy answered sarcastically. ‘Care to shed any light on it?’

      Robbie shrugged. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

      ‘Don’t play the innocent with me, Rob. I’ve heard all about you sneaking round to mine when I’ve been out and getting up to all sorts with my missus.’

      ‘I haven’t been getting up to anything,’ answered Robbie as he took Dorothy’s hand and pulled her towards the entrance of the church hall, ‘and if your missus says any differently, then she’s a lying bitch.’

      Jimmy arched his shoulders back. ‘Don’t talk about my Kimberley like that.’

      ‘Huh, one minute you’re accusing her of doing the dirty on you and now you’re defending her. Get your facts straight, Jimmy. I popped round last week to help her out with a leaky tap which it seems you couldn’t fix. I was just doing you a favour, mate.’

      There were a few moments’ silence and Dorothy looked again at Kimberley, who, with her head still hung low, quickly flashed her a sideways glance. In that split second Dorothy was sure she had seen something in Kimberley’s eyes … something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

      Jimmy broke the silence. ‘Is that true, Kim? Was that all he was doing?’

      ‘Yes,’ Kimberley answered quietly, her head still low.

      ‘Then why didn’t you just say so?’

      It was Robbie who answered. ‘She never said anything because she didn’t want to hurt your pride. Come on, Jimmy, get a grip.’

      ‘All right, all right. Just don’t keep stupid secrets from me again, either of you,’ said Jimmy, looking back and forth between Robbie and Kimberley.

      Tensions seemed to lower and the two couples made their way through to the filled hall, but those niggling doubts that had bothered Dorothy earlier were in her head again. She didn’t want to spoil the evening, but she had to know the truth.

      Half an hour later, Dorothy was finding it difficult to be heard over the loud music in the small hall as she repeated for the third time, ‘I said, tell me the truth, Robbie. Have you been seeing any other girls behind my back?’

      ‘I can’t hear you properly,’ Robbie answered close to her ear. ‘Come outside.’

      Dorothy followed him out and then he led her down an alley between the hall and the church. ‘Now, what were you saying to me?’ he asked as he gently pushed her against the brick wall.

      The alley was dark, the moon being the only illumination, and it wasn’t the sort of place Dorothy would venture alone, though she felt safe with Robbie. ‘I feel silly now, but I need to know. Have you been seeing any girls behind my back?’

      Robbie pressed his firm body up against hers as he cupped her face in his large hands. ‘Don’t be daft, woman. You’re the only girl for me.’

      He kissed her in the way that always made her tingle and slowly slipped his hand up inside her sweater to gently cup one of her small breasts.

      ‘Robbie, stop,’ Dorothy forced herself to say. ‘You know I’m saving myself.’

      ‘Marry me then, Dottie. Be my wife,’ Robbie said breathlessly.

      Dorothy was astounded and could feel Robbie’s excitement rising in his tight drainpipe trousers.

      ‘What?’ she asked. ‘Did you just ask me to marry you?’

      Robbie kissed her harder. ‘Yes, marry me,’ he said, between necking her and rubbing her erect nipple.

      Dorothy tried to answer, but Robbie’s mouth was firmly on hers and his other hand was yanking her skirt up to her hips. Her head was giddy but eventually she managed to whisper, ‘Yes, yes, I’ll marry you, but, Robbie … stop, we’re not married yet.’

      ‘Oh, Dottie, please, why wait? I love you and I’m going to be your husband. Let me get inside you.’ Robbie had his hand at the top of her thigh and was sliding it inside her knickers.

      ‘No, Robbie, we can’t. I don’t want to get pregnant.’

      ‘You can’t get pregnant the first time,’ he husked, while doing things to her that made her gasp.

      She had been dating him for five months and had held out against his advances until now, but he had never mentioned marriage before. Now, Dorothy couldn’t believe she was going to be his wife. It wasn’t the most romantic of venues for a proposal, but she found her body responding to Robbie’s caresses and, with her head spinning, she wrapped her legs around his waist.

      As he pounded her against the wall, she buried her head in his neck, enjoying the pleasure of feeling him pushing into her. He began to move faster, harder, and then threw his head back, letting out a long groan.

      ‘Dottie, yes, yes,’ he quietly moaned and then with a final thrust he finished, leaving her feeling thrilled yet strangely dissatisfied. It hadn’t been like she thought it would, but who cares, she thought, as her head filled with images of herself in a wedding dress.

      He pulled away from her, took a roll-up from his pocket and drew a long breath as Dorothy adjusted her clothing. ‘I can’t wait to get back inside and tell everyone about us getting married,’ she said enthusiastically.

      ‘Whoa, hold up,’ Robbie answered quickly as he blew smoke up into the air.

      Alarm bells rang in Dorothy’s head and she suddenly feared she might have been duped into losing her virginity. ‘What do you mean? You are still going to marry me, aren’t you?’

      ‘Yes, yes, of course. But before you go announcing it to the world, don’t you think I should get you a ring first?’

      Dorothy felt her panic subside and was relieved to hear that Robbie’s reluctance to announce their engagement was only because he wanted to ensure it was done correctly. ‘OK, but you had better get me one soon ’cos I can hardly contain myself. I’m going to be Mrs Ferguson. Mrs Dorothy Ferguson.’ Yet, as she spoke, Dorothy noticed that Robbie’s expression didn’t seem to be as blissful as hers.

      Robbie threw his roll-up to the floor before slinking back inside the hall with Dorothy. He couldn’t believe he’d asked her to marry him, but in the heat of the moment he knew it would persuade her to give in to his lust.

      He liked her, quite a lot in fact, but she was so prim and proper, unlike the other women he visited around here who were only too happy to open their legs to him. Robbie knew he was good-looking, and he easily charmed women, but usually if they weren’t forthcoming he’d just drop them and move on. It was easy, too easy, and maybe that’s what attracted him to Dottie. She was a stunner, and the fact that he had to try