‘Oh, that’s not the reas—’ she muttered through a mouthful of the bread before washing it down with a big gulp of wine, but he quickly cut in.

‘Well, I’m a good listener, if you change your mind.’ And he momentarily touched his fingertips to the top of her bare arm, quickly moving his hand away seconds later, but not before Grace had felt a tingle that swirled right through her, almost making her gasp out loud. Inhaling through her nostrils, then letting out a long puff of air, she finished the wine, and then, after studying his face momentarily, their eyes meeting in a silent exchange, she told him all about it. Told him what her life was really like caring for a challenging parent and trying to navigate her way around Cora’s needs, plus dealing with her three oblivious siblings.

Ten minutes later, and Ellis was shaking his head in bewilderment. ‘Grace, I had no idea. I mean, I know that you’re a carer for your bedbound mother,’ he started, and then when she didn’t say anything, he expanded with, ‘Aunty Betty mentioned it.’ She glanced downwards at the table as he added, ‘But only in passing, and certainly not in any kind of judgemental way, I promise you, Grace.’

‘Why do you say that?’ she asked, picking at the cuticle on her left thumb.

‘Well, the way you shy away from talking about it, for starters, and the losing eye contact thing you do … that’s a dead giveaway that you feel embarrassed, or ashamed, perhaps. That others are judging you. Why is that, Grace?’ And he stared directly into her eyes.

Grace blinked and went to look away again, but swiftly brought her eyes back to meet his, determined not to prove him right about the eye contact thing. Yes, she knew she did it, but gosh, must he be so direct? Was it an American thing? Or maybe she just wasn’t used to people, men like Matthew and Phil, actually being interested in how she felt. Jamie of course did, but then they’d been friends for absolutely ages and so that was different somehow. And Grace hadn’t ever properly confided in Matthew, or Phil, about how she really felt about being Cora’s carer, so it was her own fault really …

‘Oh, um, err … I’m not really sure,’ she managed, taken aback.

‘Come on, Grace. What’s so wrong with being a carer? Other than it being damn hard work, I imagine.’

‘Yes. Yes, it is.’

‘Then hats off to you, it’s an admirable thing to do.’ And he nodded his head and laid his hands palms up on the table as if to underpin his statement.