Camilla left the flat soon after lunch, munching on an apple and carrying a canvas tote bag full of hairbrushes, combs and cosmetics. In the square below Sarah heard her hail a taxi and listened to the finality of the door slamming as the cab revved up and purred away. Then there was silence and the faint ticking of an alarm clock to remind her that he would soon be here. She would not be able to disguise her excitement at seeing him. She could never master the art of nonchalance that Camilla did so well, and he would guess and find her foolish. Or worse, feel sorry for her.

Waiting for Piet to arrive, she sat by the open window and lit a cigarette. He had written a few times, brief notes about his experiences in the Scottish Highlands. The wild countryside was beautiful, he said, with the grandeur of the lochs and the craggy shores and brooding mountains. But he could not fathom how people lived all their lives in the endless cycle of driving rain and mist, squelching through the mud in heavy boots and jackets, waiting for the next storm to blow in, grateful for a few hours of watery sunlight. They would have so much to talk about, Sarah thought. Her heartbeat was too fast and she felt breathless at the idea of seeing him face to face. She stubbed out the cigarette and jumped to her feet. What was she thinking of, smoking now, just before she might kiss him? She went into the bathroom to clean her teeth and had just put the toothbrush into her mouth when she heard the doorbell.

‘Dear God,’ she muttered, ‘are you never on my side at all?’ She rinsed her mouth hastily, splashing water on her face, inadvertently removing all the lipstick she had applied so carefully. ‘I’m coming,’ she called out as she flew across the sitting room and into the tiny hallway. Then she stopped, took a deep breath, and made the sign of the cross before flinging open the door.

‘Sarah! It’s so good to see you, my little Sarah! Man, you look great!’ He hugged her and then stepped back to examine her in detail as she stood, mute with joy, looking up at him. She reached up to place her arms around his neck, but his gaze had shifted over her shoulder to search the area beyond her. She heard the disappointment in his voice, watched his smile fade.

‘Where is she? I thought she’d be here. I even thought of asking her to meet me at the station, but then the train might have been late. Sarah, you know what I’m telling you, heh?’

‘She had to go to a photo shoot. She’s in all the smartest magazines. It’s amazing.’