‘Do you want a tissue?’ Evie asks, gently, when she sees Anna’s tears are flowing more freely, now.

Anna nods. Evie takes off a glove and fishes around in her pockets.

‘Here,’ Evie says. Anna takes it. They watch, and Anna continues to cry.

‘It’s fun to watch, isn’t it?’ Evie says, eventually. Softly, too, since she can tell Anna is feeling a lot right now. ‘I can’t believe I’m here.’

Anna nods. ‘I just can’t believe what he’s made of himself,’ she says, shaking her head. ‘I’m sure he’s told you I wasn’t a very good mother.’

Evie doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t know how to reply to that in a way that doesn’t do an injustice to Duke. He can say what he likes about his mother, but Evie can’t join in. She settles on: ‘My father drank.’

She says it neutrally. As coolly as she can.

Anna nods. ‘Do you still see him?’ she asks.

Evie shakes her head. ‘He left when I was a kid. He’s never tried to say sorry like you have.’

Anna nods tearfully again. ‘Do you think he’ll ever forgive me?’ she asks. Evie shrugs – again, unwilling to overstep.

‘I really don’t know him all that well,’ she says, and she surprises herself to think: yet.

Anna wipes at her eyes. She’s stopped crying, now. Silence hangs between them, and Evie continues: ‘What I do know is that he is kind, and thoughtful, and generous and funny. He’s got a good heart, you know? Many a man with a face like that could get away with being horrible, and the world would still forgive them.’

Anna laughs. ‘Yes. He’s always been a looker,’ she says. And then, looking at Evie, she adds: ‘Thank you. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than look after a doddery old woman and her tears.’

Evie smiles. ‘Nah,’ she says. ‘I love doddery old women and their tears.’ She says it with a wink, and Anna gets the joke. ‘Come on. I don’t think there’s going to be a good time to interrupt, so let’s just go for it. I’ll take the blame.’ They head on closer to where Duke is working, and he senses them now, looking up and giving a little wave before whispering something to Daphne and coming over to meet them.

‘Hey,’ Duke says to his mother. ‘You made it. No Roger?’

Anna shakes her head. ‘I asked for some mother-son time,’ she says, and then Evie gets the hint and goes to excuse herself.

‘I … just need to make a call,’ Evie says. ‘I’ll come back in five?’ she asks, to Duke. He nods.

‘Thanks, Evie,’ he says.