‘Oh,’ said Gilly. ‘Have you been gliding lately?’ She tried to think if he’d had the opportunity to go gliding but, in spite of the wine and the lovely food, she was still a little on edge and couldn’t remember his schedule. ‘And could I go again?’

‘Of course! Any time! We must make a date for it.’ He smiled warmly at her. ‘I have to say, you are the first girlfriend I’ve had who has wanted to go gliding.’

‘Have you had a lot of girlfriends?’ Gilly felt this was an opportunity to find out about William’s past without appearing nosy.

‘A few since my wife died. None of them remotely serious.’ He put his hand on hers and looked into her eyes.

Before she could respond Franco came over. ‘Can I get you dessert? Coffee? Peppermint tea?’

William looked at his watch. ‘I think maybe we’d better have coffee at my house, if you don’t mind, Gilly?’

‘Not at all,’ said Gilly; she was keen to see it, and to find out if William had invited her here for more than just a look at the place where he lived. She turned to Franco. ‘But another time I’d love to try your desserts. That pasta was amazing.’

‘A woman who eats desserts,’ said Franco with a satisfied nod. ‘Excellent.’

William’s flat was just across the road. ‘I own the whole property but as you see, the bottom part is currently an antique shop.’ He opened the door and ushered Gilly in.

‘Ooh, what a lovely shop!’ said Gilly, although she realised the antiques were all very high-end and beyond what she would have permitted herself to spend.

‘Don’t get distracted,’ said William firmly. ‘Hello, Peter. We’re just going upstairs,’ he said to the proprietor.

As Gilly went up the steps ahead of William she wondered if the look Peter had given her had been as speculative as Franco’s. She was getting the impression that William bringing a woman home was unusual.

He unlocked the door. ‘There,’ he said. ‘Go in.’

Gilly was in a beautiful first-floor sitting room and found herself moving to the triple window that overlooked the street. The room was large and had a beautiful stone fireplace. It appeared to have been furnished from the shop down below.

‘Of course, it would be perfectly possible to take back the shop and incorporate it into the house,’ said William. ‘The kitchen is through here and rather small.’

It was small but very well fitted and perfectly big enough for one – or even two.

William opened another door. ‘Bedroom, en suite, dressing room, etc. There are two more rooms upstairs. There’s a bathroom there too. You can’t have guests coming down the stairs in the night, especially if they’re Aunt Daphne.’

Gilly laughed, pleased to think of Daphne being here. Personally she felt a bit overwhelmed.