Hannah listened. Nico was tense but so controlled that it was hard to align him in her mind with the laughing, vivacious, hard-playing teenage star of the Peterborough Plunderers. She remembered how people used to stop to watch him, his grace and unthinking control as he swooped, raced, turned, reversed and traversed. Hannah had never attained anywhere near such mastery of the ice.

Yet all the time, under that vital, athletic persona, had lain a love-hate relationship with food.

A waiter in a green waistcoat arrived to take their order. Nico chose a plate, which included salmon, herring, prawns, eggs, cheese, butter and bread, along with a small glass of wine. Hannah chose roast beef with dill potatoes and a large glass of wine. She walked between Gamla Stan and Östermalm so didn’t have to worry about drink-driving. She didn’t run a car herself, although she could borrow Albin’s Porsche whenever he wasn’t using it. She rarely did, in case she scratched its sleek silver perfection.

‘It sounds as if you have a wonderful relationship with Josie,’ Hannah said, when the waiter had departed.

His face softened. ‘She’s cute, funny and a walking question mark. Blonde, blue-eyed, pretty.’

‘A mini Nico?’ Hannah joked. Their wine arrived and she paused to sip the rich red liquid.

The corners of his eyes crinkled. ‘Hair and eyes, maybe. Her mother’s pretty so maybe she got that from her.’

Hannah wondered whether to tell him that although he needed to fill out and should smile more, he, too, was eye-catching. She chose something safer. ‘I’ll bet Josie’s into sports.’

‘She’s into unicorns and princesses,’ he corrected drily. ‘But that’s fine. I’m not a pushy dad.’

‘But she’s a daddy’s girl?’ Hannah hazarded.

There was water on the table and he poured them each a glass. ‘Maybe. We were both determined that she should stay with me when Loren and I split.’ He hesitated. ‘Josie now has a little sister, Maria, born after the split. Loren suffered severe postnatal depression after both her pregnancies. Josie feels secure with me. I can afford a nanny and my younger cousin Emelie is at uni in London so she lives with us and helps out too. Between us, we give Josie a good, loving home.’

‘That’s wonderful,’ Hannah answered. ‘Don’t you have a new partner?’ Then she flushed in case it sounded like she was making a play.