Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) is a history teacher at a comprehensive school in London. A spinster nearing retirement, her comfort is her diary. When a new art teacher, Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett), joins the staff, Barbara is immediately attracted to her. Sheba is married to the much older Richard (Bill Nighy), and is just entering the work force after devoting herself to a special needs son.
When Barbara discovers that Sheba is having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student, Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson), she confronts her. Sheba asks her not to tell the school administration until after Christmas as she wants to be with her family, Barbara claims she has no intention of informing, providing Sheba ends the relationship immediately. Sheba eventually tells Steven that the affair is over. However, when she refuses to give in to Barbara's demands on her time, Barbara reveals the secret to a male teacher who tells her that he is attracted to Sheba and asks her to act as an intermediary.
After the affair becomes public, Barbara and Sheba both lose their jobs. The school principal suspects that Barbara knew about the affair and did not notify the authorities; he also learned that a former teacher at the school had taken out a restraining order against Barbara for stalking her and her fiance. Sheba is thrown out of her home by her husband and moves into Barbara's house. Sheba is unaware that Barbara is the reason she was found out, believing the affair became known because Steven confessed it to his mother. When Sheba finds Barbara's diary and learns it was Barbara who leaked the story of the affair, she confronts Barbara and strikes her in anger. A row ensues, and Sheba runs outside with Barbara's journal to a crowd of reporters and photographers. When she becomes hemmed in by them, Barbara rescues her. Sheba's emotions spent, she quietly tells Barbara that she had initiated the friendship with Barbara because she liked her and they could have been friends. She leaves Barbara, placing the journal on the table, and returns to her family home. Richard and Sheba face one another silently for several moments, and then Richard allows her to enter. Sheba is subsequently sentenced to 10 months in jail.
In the final scene, Barbara meets another younger woman who is reading a newspaper about the Sheba Hart affair. Barbara says she used to know Sheba, but implies they hardly knew each other. Barbara introduces herself, invites her to a concert, and the pair continue to talk.
Where does Barbara invite the woman reading the newspaper?
to a concert