Franciszka and Neil drifted off too. Carola was saying, ‘Probably going for an early night,’ when her phone chirped and she all but yanked it from her pocket, only to sigh and stuff it back again.

‘Not Owen?’ Lily asked sympathetically.

‘Nope.’ Carola rolled her eyes. ‘Just me being pathetic.’

‘I don’t know if Lily told you,’ Isaac ventured, ‘but my sister was involved in a problem concerning dating sites. I’m afraid the bad ones draw a certain kind of people. If something’s gone wrong then you’re not the only one.’

Carola turned a wistful gaze on him. ‘Did the guy just stop contacting your sister?’

‘No,’ he admitted. ‘It was her husband who was one of the—’ he’d meant to say ‘predators’ but judged that term wouldn’t make Carola feel any better ‘—people who abuse dating sites for extra-marital affairs.’

‘“Online shopping”,’ Carola grunted. ‘Common, I’m afraid. I’ve researched it all in the past week or so. A profile stating “not looking for anything serious” translates into “I expect sex on the first date” or even “no date, just looking for booty calls”. Confusingly, “looking for someone to love and trust” can mean the opposite. Fake profiles are everywhere.’ Tears glistened in her eyes. ‘But there are happy stories too. Plenty of people meet their life partners via online dating. I thought if I followed the rules and used only a respectable site … but from what I’ve read I should even have been wary of all his lovely messages and presents. I didn’t know it had become a red flag for a guy to send flowers to the woman he’s sleeping with though.’ She snatched up a paper napkin and blew her nose. Lily used her good hand to pat Carola’s arm comfortingly.

‘It hasn’t for decent people,’ Isaac said, feeling the mixture of compassion and anger he’d felt when Billy had messed Flora about. ‘“Love bombing” is only a bad thing if the sender’s doing it cynically, to get something out of you. You didn’t lend him money, did you?’

Blowing her nose harder, Carola shook her head. ‘No. But that love bombing thing’s done as a kind of shield too, isn’t it? It makes them seem so nice that you don’t look closely enough at what lurks behind. He fits the profile: personable, good-looking. Has a good excuse for long absences.’

‘Were his kids that excuse?’ Isaac asked tentatively.

Carola groaned. ‘A mother on her own and suffering from arthritis. He’s supposed to be divorced, no kids.’ She fidgeted with her napkin. ‘I’ve done pitiful things like sending a message through the dating site app, even though we always communicated via text. I looked for him on social media even though he said he doesn’t do it.’