Which meant pushing this house purchase through as quickly as possible. He’d impress that on Donna first thing tomorrow.

Jez fell asleep that night to dream of his grandchildren. How would it feel to play with them? Would they want to be with him? Hell, what did he know about little children anyway, except for what he’d seen on the TV or in movies?

But it was good to know your blood was being carried on down the generations. It surprised him how satisfying that felt. And he now had photos of them and Tom openly displayed in his suite. That felt good, too.

Tom rang his father the next morning, hesitant to talk about money, though clearly it was going to be the key to freeing him.

‘The money’s not important to me,’ Jez said impatiently.

Tom’s voice grew harder. Jez could imagine that he’d have a look of his mother. ‘Well, it is to me. Whatever you spend, I’ll pay back as soon as I can.’

‘Why? Don’t you think I’m glad to help?’

‘I suppose so. And I’m grateful. Very. But I’m not a scrounger. I prefer to stand on my own feet.’

‘Right. Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that you were – you know – only contacting me for the money.’

‘As long as that’s clear.’

Jez was touched by this. His son was the second person he’d met lately who didn’t care about money. It was strange – hard to believe. ‘Can you and the children stay with your mother till I get into this house I’m buying?’

‘Yes. And I may have found a nanny for the kids. It’s our neighbour. She’s looked after them from time to time and she’s like a second grandmother to them. Would there be room for her as well in this new place?’

‘Of course.’ And if there wasn’t, Jez would make room. ‘If you change your mind, you can bring them down and stay at the hotel with me. The nanny too.’

‘There are things to do at my own house, stuff to sort out and pack, so I need to stay up here for a few days, I think. And small kids don’t go well with posh hotels.’

Jez smiled. ‘In this hotel, given the price I’m paying for my suite, they’ll accommodate children or anything, including a pet elephant, believe me.’

Tom chuckled. ‘Well, actually, I’d love a pet elephant.’

Tom went round to his house to get some clean clothes the next day, waving a greeting to Jane as he walked up the path. When he got inside, he stopped for a minute, feeling uncomfortable, like a visitor.

He found Gail yawning over a cup of coffee, looking as if she’d just got up, though it was ten o’clock in the morning. ‘I need to get some of my clothes.’ He thought it better not to mention the kids’ things.

She scowled at him. ‘My cousin came round last night. She’s been divorced twice now and she gave me some very good advice. I’m not doing anything or agreeing to anything till I find myself a lawyer. So don’t think you can cheat me out of my rights.’