‘Yes?’ Lola waited. I loved the sound of her voice and the image of her student room with its photo collage on the wall and her mess of clothes and books and the flame of a scented candle reflected in the dark window glass.

‘That’s all.’ I smiled. Telling her anything else meant telling everything and although I didn’t want to conceal from her the way I had started thinking about Ted, I wasn’t ready to confide even in Lola yet. ‘What about you?’

‘Oh, Mum.’ There was a gurgle of laughter and excitement in her voice. ‘Sam and I went out last night.’

Sam was the geography student who liked hill-walking. Lola had been trying to decide whether or not to fall for him for weeks now.

‘Uh-huh?’

‘Yeah.’

‘And?’

‘He’s fabulous.’

We both laughed.

‘I’m glad to hear it. You deserve fabulous at the very least. Are you happy?’

‘Yes, Mum, I am.’

We talked for a little while about Sam’s perfection before Lola said she had to go because he was waiting to meet her.

‘Call me on Sunday night, then? You’ll be able to speak to Jack then as well.’

‘Has he enjoyed himself?’

He had called me just once, using the phone card I’d presented him with. He hadn’t exactly been forthcoming about Cherbourg, or anything else. ‘Your guess is as good as mine, Lo.’ I didn’t mention what Audrey had said and the suspicion that had hardened in my mind.

‘Yeah. And are you okay, Mum? I want you to be happy as well, you know.’

‘I am.’

‘I love you, you know.’

‘I do know that. I love you too,’ I told her as we rang off. Lola was so very easy to love, with her sunny self-assurance and her certainty that the world would treat her as kindly as she deserved. And, like Mel, she was so happy that she wanted everyone around her to enjoy the same state of grace.

I finished swabbing down the work surfaces, scoured the sink and then dialled Mel’s number. She answered at once and in the background I could hear the watery tinkle of ambient music. The candles would be lit in her pale-toned apartment too. I’d got it all wrong, I thought, spending my evening solitarily shining the kitchen taps.

‘Is Jasper with you?’ I asked. I didn’t want to sound envious, but I probably did anyway. I would have liked very much to be with someone like Jasper tonight.

‘No,’ Mel said.

I heard a match strike and then an inhaled breath.

‘Sadie? Are you there?’

‘Of course I am. Is something wrong?’ It can’t be going wrong already, I thought.

‘I’m scared,’ Mel said.

‘Why’s that?’