Snowy shrugged. ‘Sometimes I wonder why I love you,’ he said, but his tone was teasing once more. ‘Race you to the pet shop, Miss Theresa Williams.’

Tess had been right, Snowy thought as, having said good night, he set off in the direction of home. As he and Tess had entered the kitchen they had seen Gran and Albert sitting over their mugs of cocoa, looking so like a long-married couple that Snowy had remarked: ‘Darby and Joan, I do declare! Gosh, those biscuits look good.’

‘Told you so,’ Tess had said, heading across the kitchen. ‘Shan’t be a tick.’ True to her word she returned almost immediately and handed Snowy a sheet of notepaper. ‘Read that,’ she had commanded, ‘and say you’re sorry.’

‘What’s all this?’ Albert had said curiously as Snowy took the sheet and began to read. ‘Secrets?’

‘No, not secrets; just settling a bet,’ Snowy had said untruthfully. He read the line which Tess was indicating: Took Pamela to see Winchester ’73; she’s mad on Westerns, can’t get enough of them. But as I was saying . . .

‘Told you so!’ Tess had said triumphantly for the second time, snatching the sheet from his hand before he could read another word. ‘And now, having . . . er, settled the bet, how about some cocoa before you leave?’

Snowy had agreed rather stiffly to have a mug of cocoa, though he had given her a very cold look when she handed him his cup. He could not wait to get her alone so that he could object to the way she had taken the letter back, and come to think of it it wasn’t a whole letter anyway, just one miserable page. If she was going to be frank and honest, if there was really nothing between her and the ploughboy, then she should have handed over the whole letter for him to read at his leisure.

But Albert and Edie, clearly unaware of a slight frostiness in the atmosphere, had chattered gaily on about the film they had seen, and the meal they had eaten afterwards in the cinema café, so Snowy had drunk his cocoa too hot and burned his tongue, turned down the offer of biscuits and got to his feet. ‘Thank you very much, Mrs Williams,’ he had said formally. He had not taken off his overcoat when he entered the flat, and now he simply fastened the buttons, then turned to Tess. ‘Going to see me off the premises, love? Make sure I shut the door properly and click the Yale down?’

Tess had begun to say that she would do so when Albert too got to his feet and reached for his overcoat. ‘Well, it’s time I was off as well,’ he had said. ‘Thanks very much, Edie. See you tomorrow.’

Snowy could have screamed with frustration. How could Albert be so stupid? He was determined to have a word with Tess about the letter, since he thought her behaviour had been downright suspicious. But Edie, also getting to her feet, went over to the sink, giving Albert a warning look as she did so. ‘You can dry the crocks for me, Albert,’ she said. ‘I dare say these young people will want to say good night without an audience.’