‘Not that kind of favour. It’s just that me and my girlfriend want to get away for the May Day bank holiday. She’s going to tell her parents she’s meeting a friend in Oxford; could we take over your gaff?’

’Why the cloak and dagger?’ Omar asked.

‘Stupid story - her dad’s got the impression I’m no good, and has forbidden her to see me,’ Sharif said.

Omar choked back a laugh. ‘Forbidden her to see you? God, how funny. So does he lock her up at night with a chastity belt?’

‘Not funny, mate. I really like this girl. She’s … well, she’s special. You’ll know what I mean when you meet her. Even Mum loved her. And we hardly ever get to see each other.’

‘You introduced her to Amma?’ Omar asked in bemuse-ment; Sharif seemed to have changed overnight. ‘Who are you and what have you done with my obnoxious slut of a brother?’

‘Very funny. Funny ha ha, I mean,’ said Sharif. ‘So is that OK? We’ll just stay a night.’

‘Luckily for you, I’m actually planning to be out all night, so I guess it is OK. Make sure you arrive before formal Hall so I can let you in, about seven-ish.’

‘Cheers, kid, I owe you. See you then.’ Sharif was about to ring off, when Omar stopped him.

‘What’s her name? This special girl who’s made such a changed man of you?’

’Candida,’ said Sharif, surprised by the question.

‘Candida? Is she Candy for short?’ asked Omar. Candy seemed a more suitable name for one of Sharif’s girl-friends.

‘Nope, Candida doesn’t abbreviate,’ Sharif said proudly, before hanging up.

On the big day, Omar was fretting as Sharif was late, and he was in danger of missing his much needed dinner before the long night ahead. Karen and Jim had already gone to Hall, and Omar was sure that Karen was secretly pleased that he’d had to stay behind. Fiddling with his scruffy black gown, Omar tried Sharif’s phone again. It went straight through to voicemail. Bastard, he was sure that his brother’s Romeo and Juliet sob story was some elaborate ploy to humiliate him in some undecipherable way, or at the very least to ruin his first Oxford May Day. Sod him. Omar decided to go to Hall anyway; he left a scrawled message on his door, and was racing down the stairs when he heard a familiar voice on the landing. ‘Where’s the fire, kid?’

‘Where the hell were you?’ said Omar crossly, doubling back and seeing Sharif standing outside the bathroom on the second floor. ‘Look, here’s my key, you know where the room is. Top floor, turret. See you tomorrow.’

‘Hold on, Candida’s just in the loo. Don’t be so bloody rude. Wait to say hello at least,’ Sharif said.