‘Yes. And she wasn’t at all repentant. I don’t know where we went wrong with her.’

‘Sometimes children have to make their own mistakes. I was a rebel myself and I reckon I made more stuff-ups than most, probably put my parents through hell. I was able to make it up to them before they died, thank goodness.’

‘You’re very understanding,’ she said.

‘I’m more bothered about this Shane fellow. Donna says he’s not really in the picture. Is that right?’

‘No, he’s not in the picture in the way you mean. He’d asked me out a few days before your second visit. I should have told you, though. But Jez, I needed to go out with him, to see if …’ Her voice faltered, because it was hard to explain. ‘I’d not been out with anyone for a while. I needed to see if that was why I reacted to you.’

‘And was it?’

She could only shake her head.

‘So you’ll not be seeing Shane again?’

‘Only as a friend. I really like him but there’s no spark – not on my side at least.’

Jez let out his breath in a sudden whoosh. He must have been nervous too. That was so amazing she stared at him in wonderment.

‘There is definitely a spark between you and me.’ He reached up to caress her cheek briefly.

His touch made her struggle for breath and all she could do was nod.

‘But we’ll let the spark burn slowly, if that’ll make you feel better.’

‘It will. I thought … Well, that Andi’s action might have destroyed our friendship.’

‘No, it hasn’t. We are still friends, aren’t we?’

‘I hope so.’

He gave a wry smile. ‘I’ve never started a love affair with a friendship before. I’m not sure I know the rules.’

‘Any rules I ever knew would be well out of date by now.’ She took a step away from him because being so close seemed to stop her breathing properly.

‘Are you hungry?’

She considered this, then smiled. ‘Yes. I was too nervous to eat a proper breakfast.’

‘I’ll ring for the food to be sent up. Can I offer you a drink in the meantime? A glass of wine, perhaps?’

She shook her head. ‘I don’t drink at lunchtime. And anyway, wouldn’t that be difficult for you?’

‘No. If it upset me to watch others drink, I’d have sunk back into alcoholism long ago.’

They ate a wonderful meal. He’d remembered her food problems and ordered accordingly. There was a gateau afterwards, which the waiter assured her contained only potato, almond and tapioca flours.

After the staff had cleared away the meal, they chatted lazily, talking of anything and everything.

She was shocked when a little gold clock chimed again and she saw it was nearly five o’clock. ‘Where has the afternoon gone?’

‘Do you have to leave?’

‘I’m afraid so. I’m hoping to write another thousand words or so before the end of the day. I try to write every single day so that I can stay inside the story. I couldn’t settle down to it this morning. And anyway, you’re looking tired.’