Katie took out a can and lobbed it over to Dan.

“Now, what have we got?” she said, peering into the fridge. “Not a lot, I’m afraid. Tomorrow’s usually the big shopping day, so we’re pretty low on supplies. How about . . . cheese on toast and tomato soup?”

Dan pulled the ring off the can. “Sounds good to me.”

Sooty had her lunch in front of the television while Dan and Katie sat on the window seat eating theirs. Katie resumed her questioning of Dan, and by the time that she had stacked the dishwasher with their bowls and plates and they had finished off their mugs of coffee, he had told her about the house in Clapham, about Jackie and her high-flying and demanding job, about Josh and his low-flying and undemanding job, and about Millie and Nina and their supreme wish that Dad would get another job so that they could return to their old school and be with their friends. Battersea Gran’s name was explained in full, both Biggles and Cruise were discussed, and even his old mate Nick and doted-upon son Tarquin got a mention.

“Heaven’s above!” exclaimed Katie, glancing at the clock and jumping to her feet. “It’s half past two! I was meant to get Patrick at two o’clock.”

Dan slid off the bench. “Can I be of any help?”

Katie cleared the two mugs from the table and put them in the washing machine. “No, it’s all right. I can manage.”

“Are you sure? I know that his factory is quite close to your workshop. I could easily find my way back there. My own insurance probably covers me for driving your car.”

Katie slowly straightened up from the washing machine and stood staring at him, biting her lip. “Ah,” she said quietly.

“Daddy’s not at work, Dan,” Sooty said, breaking herself away from the television. Still leaning on the arm of the sofa, she bounced up and down on her knees. “He’s upstairs, isn’t he, Mummy?”

Katie smiled forlornly at her daughter. “Yes, angel, he is.”

Dan pushed his hands into the pockets of his unzipped bomber jacket. “Sorry. I didn’t realize that. I thought that when you said you had to get him, you meant from—”

“I think that I should maybe explain something,” Katie cut in. She glanced over to where Sooty was once more engrossed in yet another television programme. She crossed her arms and leaned against the towel rail of the Rayburn. “There was a slight untruth told in that magazine article about me. I said that the reason I had decided to sell Vagabonds was that I wanted to spend more time with the children.”

“And that you felt it could expand to a worldwide market,” Dan added.