Tara closed her eyes again. Bloody hell, she thought. What has my life come to? ‘I don’t think it looks very empowering, getting a lift from my dad to dump someone.’

‘You can drive, if it makes you feel any better?’

Tara took two, three deep breaths, and considered the next few weeks, if she didn’t do this now. Was it the lesser of two evils? He was more of a lodger than her dad. And it was quite a dramatic statement of trust, letting her drive his brand-new Mercedes.

‘Fine,’ she said. Then added, ‘Thank you,’ automatically.

Tara’s consumer rights training had made her an expert on the small print of her car insurance but Keith didn’t appear particularly uptight about letting her drive, even before she showed him the clause in her documents that proved it was fine. Unlike Justin, the human satnav, he seemed happy to let her get on with it, and contrary to Tara’s fears, he didn’t start listing the Christmas presents he’d supposedly sent once she was trapped next to him, either. Instead he quizzed her about where the independent wine merchants were, and if there was ‘a decent Asian supermarket’ anywhere near Longhampton. Tara didn’t know, but she let him blether on about artisan quince paste and furikake while she drove, because it prevented her from thinking about Phil and what she was going to say to him.

It was only when Tara accelerated recklessly on to the motorway that Keith touched on the reason for their journey.

‘So this bloke …’ he asked casually, as she wafted past a Range Rover, ‘how did you meet him?’

Tara considered which of the various versions of meeting Phil to tell her dad. She’d finessed the truth a few times, depending on who was asking. Although, given that the relationship was entering its final hours, what was the point of lying?

‘We were on the same speed awareness course. He came in late, and the only space was at my table. And can I just say, for the record,’ she added, ‘I wasn’t speeding dangerously, I was doing thirty-four in a thirty. The policeman was hiding behind a hedge.’

‘Well, well. I didn’t have you down as a speeder. Let me guess – your mum taught you to drive?’

‘No, Diane did. But there was nothing wrong with Mum’s driving.’ They both knew that was a lie. Ruth attacked the road as if the car was on fire and she was driving it away from an exploding building and a herd of cattle, also on fire.

Tara flashed a look at her dad, and he took the hint.

‘So I’m guessing this Phil was caught speeding too? How fast was he going?’

‘A hundred and twelve on the M6.’

‘A hundred and twelve?’ Keith whistled appreciatively. ‘Don’t you automatically get sent to court for that?’

‘Apparently not.’

‘Lucky bloke.’