Nick almost howled. ‘Now that’s something I never considered in relation to Charles. I’m afraid I don’t think he’s much of a Casanova. From what I can tell, he wants nothing more than to marry some quiet girl who will love, honour and especially obey, before she pops out a couple of sons and they all spend Sundays in perfectly dull silence.’ He looked a bit shifty. ‘In fact, I’m not certain that he has ever “had” a girlfriend. If you catch my drift.’ He winked. I smacked him on the shoulder. ‘Perhaps that’s why he’s like he is.’ I smacked him again, harder. ‘Ouch! All right, I get the message. Now, tell me how you got on with Hazel.’

‘Well. Yes, well.’

‘Good. I’m really glad. God knows what the poor kid’s going through. I’ll take some time off work and spend it with her.’

‘Good idea.’

He rubbed my hands. ‘I thought about you a lot,’ he said.

‘What were you thinking?’

‘I was thinking that if I get sent to a re-education camp, all I’ll have to look forward to are letters from you. And that’s not much good because you may be an English teacher but whenever you leave me a note I can make neither head nor tail of it.’

‘Do you want me to slap you?’

It was a joy just quietly cooking for us all that evening, making up a recipe involving the lard, flour and eggs we had in the house and the carrots and turkey ham we managed to buy on the way home. I created a sort of pie that was more successful than I had expected.

When Nick and I went to bed, there was absolute silence in the street for the first time that I could remember. No one was shouting at the neighbours; no police car was tearing along in pursuit of a petty criminal. The air was still and heavy, and I think being cooped up in his cell for three days meant Nick had a lot of pent-up energy that I was perfectly happy to help him expend. I lost myself then.

‘I do love you,’ he said.

‘I hope so. My God, it was so hard with you in there.’

‘I won’t be going back.’

‘Thank heaven.’ I waited a minute, thinking. ‘Nick, shall we have another baby?’

He kissed me again. ‘Let’s think about it later,’ he said.

Well, having been through such a shock it was only natural that he wouldn’t want to commit to something like that straight away. But lying there I saw a rich future with my belly swelling and knowing looks from other women on the Tube; followed by the two of us each taking a hand of our young child as we walked the corridors of the National Museum or through the grassy paths of Victoria Park.