The Walking Stick

Deborah Dainton suffers from a limp due to polio, and childhood treatment left her claustrophobic and uneasy in large crowds. This background explains why she lives a guarded, controlled life and remains reluctant to engage with others. Her condition sets up the contrast with Leigh's bold persistence.

At a party she reluctantly attends to please her parents, Deborah meets Leigh Hartley, a struggling artist. His persistence stands out as he keeps pursuing her despite initial disinterest. The meeting plants the seed for their evolving relationship.

Leigh's persistence earns Deborah's trust enough to accept a date. He even asks to paint her portrait during a future visit, a request Deborah initially declines before later allowing it. The moment signals the beginning of their bond.

Some time later, Deborah urges Leigh to try to sell his art to a museum, but the curator bluntly rejects him. Despite the setback, the couple grows closer as they share hopes for his art and a future together. Leigh's disappointment is tempered by Deborah's support.

They attempt to be intimate at Leigh's home, but Deborah suffers a panic attack that leaves her embarrassed. Leigh reassures her and proposes that Deborah move in with him, a plan she accepts despite her parents' dismay. The moment deepens their connection and commitment.

Deborah soon discovers Leigh has been secretly married. When she confronts him, he apologizes, saying he didn't want this to derail their blossoming relationship. The revelation tests their budding romance and trust.

They plan to buy an antique shop to sell Leigh's art and Deborah's discovered antiques. Leigh cautions that they can't afford it soon, but the idea strengthens their bond. The plan represents a tangible future they are building together.

Leigh asks Deborah for help in a robbery, promising some of the stolen money, while insisting he will not personally participate. Deborah, initially uneasy, decides to help to avoid tying him to the crime. The decision marks her gradual descent into moral compromise.

Deborah works at an antiques shop with a vault valued at £200,000. A bribed guard enables the thieves to enter. When the guard falls ill, Deborah is pulled into participating physically in the heist. The robbery goes ahead and succeeds, and she manages to avoid police suspicion.

A woman who had appeared at Leigh's place earlier is revealed not to be who Leigh claimed. Deborah learns the woman is actually Leigh's mother, and that his father is alive and well. This revelation confirms the depth of Leigh's manipulations and misdirections.

Deborah digs deeper and discovers that her introduction at the party was orchestrated by Leigh and his associates, and that there was never a bribed guard—she was always the insider. The betrayal shatters her trust and forces a reckoning with her complicity. The realization alters the trajectory of their relationship.

When Deborah confronts Leigh, he confesses his crimes but insists that his love for her is real. He begs her to stay, yet she sees that the relationship is doomed and contemplates the fragility of love. The emotional clash marks the turning point toward separation.

Deborah decides to send a letter to the inspector investigating the robbery, effectively choosing to expose the truth behind the crime. The audience is left to wonder whether she names the other conspirators. The act seals the fate of the pair and sets the investigation in motion.

Leigh's manipulation culminates in heartbreak as Deborah walks away, leaving him to ponder the question, 'Is that how fragile love is? All at once everything? All at once nothing?'. The movie ends with Deborah emotionally alone, contemplating the consequences of deceit.

The final image is Deborah posting the letter to the inspector, leaving the investigation in motion and the audience to imagine the consequences. The story emphasizes the costs of manipulation and the pull between love, guilt, and truth.