‘I can understand the need to run wild when something hasn’t worked out. I did the same a long time ago and came to the same conclusion, quality not quantity.’

‘So what are you looking for?’

‘In life?’

‘In a relationship.’

‘Ah. I’m not sure I know any more. Loyalty, kindness, no snakes.’

‘I could do loyalty and kindness and definitely no snakes.’

‘What are you saying, Jon?’

‘That I’d like to give it a go with you, Bea. Go on a few dates, see how we get on. What do you say? You and me.’

‘Er … I … I’ve a lot going on at the moment.’ Inwardly I was debating whether to tell him the whole truth – all about Saranya Ji; the fact that I’d been checking out a list of men – and see how he reacted. I decided not to. No man wants to be one on a list. ‘I’m flattered, I really am, just—’

‘You don’t fancy me?’

This time, I looked at him hard. No doubt there was a spark between us. We both smiled in recognition of it.

I made a quick decision. Jon had talked about testing the water with his various women; well, I was going to test the waters with the men left on my list and see what they thought about the idea of past lives. ‘OK, this might sound really mad but I’m just going to come out with it. When I was in India, I saw a fortune-teller …’

Jon put his hand over his heart. ‘And she told you about me?’

‘Stop it. No. Maybe. She said I’d known the true love of my life in a past life and I had to find him this time round.’

‘Ah … that again. Is this your way of telling me to mind my own business again?’

‘No. I’m serious. She told me that I’d known someone in a past life in the Second World War and that he’d been killed in action in the defence of Calais and that, just as I was back in this life, so is he.’

‘Ah, I know all about the defence of Calais,’ he said, and indicated his bookshelves. ‘Look, loads of books about the Second World War. It is one of the stories that has always fascinated me; the men who fought there saved thousands at Dunkirk. So … your past life man, definitely me. And now you’ve found me. We’ve already wasted half our lives, maybe more than half. Let’s go to bed.’ He moved closer to me on the sofa and put his arm round me.

I laughed. ‘How would I know it was you?’

‘Easy. We have a connection and you can’t deny we have something going on. We don’t have to have sex, I didn’t mean that, we could just cuddle and kiss.’