“Well, they don’t seem to have any difficulty shifting them at that price.” Josh got up from the table, walked across the kitchen, and opened the door that led into the hall. “Listen, I’m going to have a quick bath, and then go around to see Phil Neilson. We were supposed to meet over the weekend, but we never got our acts together and he’s heading back to university tonight.”

Dan pushed himself to his feet. “Okay. Maybe see you later, then.”

Josh nodded. “Are the girls not here?”

“No. They’re spending the evening with one of Millie’s friends.”

“Right. Are you okay by yourself, then?”

Dan smiled at his son’s unnecessary but kindly concern. He shot him a wink. “I’m fine. Thanks.”

As he heard Josh’s footsteps ascend the staircase at speed, Dan picked up the Sunday magazine that he had initially sought out and took it over to the table. He pushed the Woman’s Weekly to the far side of the table and sat down. He read one paragraph of an article about some high-flying interior designer in London, but his mind was elsewhere. His eyes went back to Battersea Gran’s magazine. He reached over the table and drew it towards him, opening it once more at the photograph of Katie Trenchard and her two children.

If Josh was really right about this, then maybe it was worth finding out a little more about the company. If there was this huge untapped market, then maybe it could be a winner. He’d always gone on about something turning up. He’d never believed in omens, but nevertheless, the way that this had come to light was all pretty strange. A woman’s magazine given to him by his mother for some ghastly recipe, the article, the company for sale, and then Josh telling him that their product was one of the hottest things around. Maybe he was right about Jackie’s expertise. Of course, she had her job with Rebecca Talworth, but if he were to take on the management of the company, they could work on the marketing together. In fact, doing something in which they both had a common interest might be the stimulation their relationship needed at that precise moment.

Dan pushed back his chair and pulled out the drawer in the table. After a bit of rummaging, he found a blunt pencil and one of Nina’s old exercise books. He creased it open at a blank page. Right, he thought to himself, let’s give this a bit of thought.