Jo smiled. She knew Harry’s ways well enough to know that his actions were not always as altruistic as they seemed. ‘Did you ever think to check the sell-by date on them, by any chance?’ she asked, and Lorcan raised an eyebrow.

‘No, I don’t think I did. Why?’

‘Spend enough time with your grandad now, and you’ll learn,’ she said with a laugh.

After they’d eaten, and as Jo started to see her opinion of Lorcan may not have been a fair one, they decided to make the most of the sunny day and opted for a walking tour of the city with one of the city’s many well-informed, and entertaining, guides. To her shame, it was as much of an education to her as it was to Lorcan. They walked the historic walls which surrounded Derry city centre, calling into St Columb’s Cathedral, the Craft Village and the Tower Museum, and heard stories of Derry’s darkest and brightest days.

When that finished, Jo found they still hadn’t run out of conversation, so Lorcan suggested they grab a quick drink. She said that sounded like a great idea.

‘How about that pub you work in? The Ivy Inn?’ he asked.

Jo shook her head. ’No. No, it’s my day off. I would end up getting dragged in to help out, pull some pints or walk the dog…’

‘Walk the dog?’

‘Paddy. He’s a rescue. A big soppy dote of a dog who likes to take me for very long walks.’ A wave of affection for her big furry friend washed over her.

‘I love dogs,’ Lorcan said with a smile, but Jo saw his face cloud over almost as soon as he spoke. ‘I had the best dog in the world. Scraps. A mutt of a thing. Rescue too, but gives so much love.’

‘You don’t have him any more? What happened to him?’ Jo asked, her voice suitably solemn.

‘My ex happened. She got full custody in the split.’ He looked bereft.

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Jo said, wrong-footed by the unexpected show of emotion.

Lorcan shrugged. ‘Yeah, it sucks. He’s a great boy, the best – no offence to your Paddy. If the truth be told, he’s probably the reason I stayed as long as I did. The relationship hadn’t been working for a while.’

‘Were you together long?’ Jo asked.

‘I was with Sophie since college. So nine years and seven months, as it happens.’

Jo’s eyes widened. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘That’s a long time.’