‘Not usually, really, I’m pretty normal most of the time. So … do you have any sense of having lived before?’

‘No, no idea. I wouldn’t rule it out but I have no memory of previous lives. I can hardly remember what I did yesterday. Why are you asking?’

I wondered whether to tell him about Saranya Ji but decided not to. We’d only just met up again, and I didn’t want him thinking that my head was too full of mad fantasies. ‘Oh, no reason, just with you being in Thailand and being so into the Eastern philosophies … I was curious to know if you still were, if you ever asked yourself if some of us here, now, have met before – in some other time or place – and if maybe we come back time after time.’

‘It’s a nice idea, romantic. Honest truth, I don’t think about it much any more. I know I did when I was younger, but these days I try and live in the present. I suppose I view it all as a dance, a country dance: people come forward in your life, you dance a few steps with them, they step back and another person steps forward, you partner up and on it goes. Some people return in the dance later, others move on to another dance and you never see them again. Whether that takes place over one life or many, I have no idea.’

At that moment, I glanced out of the window and saw Stuart on the opposite side of the street, walking down the hill with Monty. My heart sank. I’d completely forgotten I’d said I’d go for a walk with him. I looked at my watch and realized that we’d been sitting there for over an hour. ‘God, look at the time. I’d better get back to the shop to take over from Heather.’

‘Me too. I’m going to drop in to see Melanie and her fiancé, then I’ve got a train to catch. I’m going to stay with Jess, in Oxford, talk wedding plans.’

‘Oh.’ I’d hoped that he would be staying in town and we could have met up later. The feeling of disappointment felt only too familiar.

‘Don’t worry. I’ll be back.’

I made myself smile. ‘You’ve come over all Terminator,’ I said, then did an appalling impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger saying, ‘I’ll be back.’

Michael laughed, got up and paid the bill, and we walked up to the tube station, our arms linked. When we got there, he put his hands on my shoulders and held me at arm’s distance and looked me directly in the eyes. I felt the old chemistry still there, blushed and looked away, uncertain how to react.

‘I’ll be in touch, Bea Brooks,’ he said. ‘I’ve got your number.’

‘Will that be in another thirty years or sooner?’