‘Lee told me.’ It seemed a long time since the discovery of that fact, on top of Alice leaving her with Hugo and her B&B plans foundering, had pitched her into the doldrums. Then a thought occurred. ‘Had Lee been with Alice?’

Aaron shook his head. ‘Apparently not, though she seems to have taken off again.’

‘Hugo told me. I haven’t had time to worry about getting in touch with her.’ In fact, she’d all but forgotten, overtaken, as she’d been, by other events.

He sat down on the seat next to hers. ‘So, are you OK?’

She felt herself flushing. Had he come all this way to ask that? ‘I’m fine. I was just saying goodbye to Will. Indications are good that Renée and the baby are going to be all right. Monty and Asila too. They’ll all go home to be looked after by their loved ones in the next few days. The crisis is on its way to being over.’

His gaze didn’t waver. ‘Are you coming back to Nelson’s Bar?’

She managed a grin. ‘I suppose it is changeover day tomorrow so I ought to.’

He didn’t smile and she felt as if he saw right through her, heard everything she wasn’t saying. ‘That sounds as if you’re not sure you’re ready.’

Her gaze slid away from his without her meaning it to. ‘One thing I’ve had plenty of time to realise, hanging around waiting areas, is that there’s a lot of stuff to sort out.’ A tiny sigh escaped her.

‘What?’ he murmured, sliding an arm around her. ‘Talk to me.’ Then, before she could try, ‘Actually, not here. I’d like to see the area where you used to live. We can talk over lunch.’

She looked at him in surprise, but agreed. ‘It would certainly be nice to be outside.’

They had to move both their vehicles and find pay-and-display kerbside parking in Chalk Farm, which, as usual, was tiresome and took time. It was nearly two by the time they were standing on Prince of Wales Road.

‘So the apartment is up there, on the corner,’ she said, feeling self-conscious. Aaron didn’t look out of place because he didn’t have hayseeds in his hair or anything, but she suspected he was feeling out of place without the sea on one side of him and windy lanes and cute cottages on the other. ‘I slept there the last couple of nights but packed my bag and put it in the car this morning. Will should be taking Renée home soon.’

He turned to gaze at her. ‘Does that make you unhappy?’

‘No,’ she said, honestly, not even having to think about it. ‘I’m ready for it to be her home now. But it’s been a godsend for the boys to use the spare room. Did you know Anabelle’s taken them off to live with her in Leicester?’

‘I knew she was going to. I feel sorry for Jordy but … you can’t keep someone who doesn’t want to be with you.’