‘Would you tell Dad about me and Rory, if I asked you to?’ he demanded, waving at Rory to be quiet when he tried to break in.

‘I would,’ Aaron agreed, his voice hollow through the phone speaker. ‘But I’m not sure it would achieve anything because you’d have to face him sometime.’

Harry’s shoulders sagged. ‘Right.’ He exchanged a look with Rory, then said abruptly, ‘Thanks, Aaron. Don’t say anything to Dad. I need to think more.’ He ended the call and returned the phone to Clancy.

After offering subdued thanks for the meal, the boys went off to explore London further and Clancy returned to her hotel in Muswell Hill. Tracey had extended a hesitant invitation to drop in on her and her live-in, Roisin, this evening, but Clancy had pleaded a previous engagement, thinking wistfully of the past, the laughter they’d shared over meals Asila had cooked or in King’s Cross brasseries, sharing tapas. Maybe they could rediscover some form of friendship when the dust settled on business matters – but not yet. The tension over the negotiating table was too present.

What she almost did about five times was ring Aaron back. Harry had commandeered the last phone call and her nerves were dancing with the need to know whether Aaron had only rung to speak to his young cousin. Or to speak to her.

Late on Thursday afternoon, a formal offer to buy Clancy Moss’s shares in the business was presented by the remaining directors of IsVid.

Clancy formally accepted, ousting herself from a company she’d helped grow from its inception. Everyone looked relieved and Clancy managed a fairly natural smile. ‘I’m sure IsVid will go from strength to strength.’

Asila and Tracey hugged Clancy and even Monty patted her shoulder.

Will hung back. ‘Emotional,’ he said unhappily. Sweat beaded his brow and made the front of his hair frizz.

Impulsively, Clancy gave him a hug too. ‘Don’t be. You’ve got a new life and so have I. I want you to be happy.’

Will gave her a rueful smile. ‘I want that for you too.’

‘Definitely,’ she said firmly, releasing him. ‘This week has helped me realise how much I’ve moved on.’ To a tiny village on the cliffs above the sea where nothing much happened but where she seemed to have left a piece of her heart, judging by the way she kept thinking about the Roundhouse and Dilys and Ernie.

And Aaron.

‘Thanks for not being difficult about Harry and Rory in the spare room,’ she carried on, picking up her bag. ‘They want this evening in London but I hope they’ll come back with me tomorrow.’

Will’s fair brows flew up. ‘What do you mean, “hope”?’

‘Did I say “hope”?’ she said innocently, preferring not to think too much about what would happen if the lads refused to return with her or, indeed, had already melted into the streets of London, never to return to Nelson’s Bar. ‘We have plans to meet at my hotel in the morning.’ Mentally, she crossed her fingers.