‘Yes, I guess that’s it,’ said Angie. ‘But I can still come, luckily I haven’t got anything else on tonight. Wow, fancy Dad getting another promotion, the Mr Big of the electronics world…Listen, where are you all going for dinner? I could meet you there, and I promise I won’t wear these earrings. It doesn’t matter if you all have seats together at the theatre, either. Maybe they’ve still got ones on sale at the door. I could…’

‘I don’t know which restaurant,’ said Lynne, getting up. ‘Dad’s boss fixed all that, and I expect they’ve already booked the table and they can’t go mucking it up now with extra people. You won’t be missing much, you know how boring it will be, all that computer shop talk. And I don’t really know which theatre, though I heard Mum say we were lucky to get the last seats. So there’s not much point…Oh, look at the time, I’ve really got to dash now, Angie.’

Seymour noticed that no one, really, had eaten very much. They headed back towards the bus station, but he sensed that Lynne didn’t particularly want them to accompany her. She walked ahead very quickly, making no allowance for Angie in her silly shoes.

‘I have to take a short cut down National Street,’ she said over her shoulder. ‘Got to see a schoolfriend on the way, borrow one of her books. So I’ll see you around sometime, Angie, thanks for the lunch. Goodbye, Seymour.’ She ran across the road with an amber traffic light and waved briefly from the far pavement, then hurried away down a side street, not looking back.

‘Isn’t she pretty?’ Angie said, watching her go. ‘You should see her all dressed up in ballet gear, she looks like a princess. I missed her last concert, I could have cried…Bet she’ll look gorgeous all togged up to go out to dinner tonight, too. It’s great having a little kid sister. We’ve always been so close, you know, right from when she was born. I used to nag Mum to let me babysit, I liked it so much…’

She gazed after Lynne, and Seymour looked carefully in the same direction. It was easier to watch Lynne’s trim figure disappearing down the side street, much easier than having to meet Angie’s eyes, which he now saw were full of sadness. A terrible yearning sadness, like someone who had lost something they’d treasured.