‘Average height. Dark hair. You can decide for yourself if she’s good-looking when you meet her. I was too surprised to take that much in.’

Silence falls as I digest this information and Will concentrates on navigating us safely out of the town. This is the first time I’ve been in his car, and I’m relieved to see that he’s a careful driver. I treat far too many traffic accident victims to appreciate gung-ho driving.

‘Will?’ I ask once we’re out on to the dual carriageway. ‘Don’t you think it’s odd that she just happens to be in the country on the very weekend that your dad decides to give her namesake its maiden flight?’

‘I thought that too, so I cornered Dad while she was using the loo, and he admitted that he’d planned the whole inaugural flight to be this weekend specifically because she was going to be around. That’s why he was so obsessive about the weather and everything with boring Bernard last night, because he was terrified the conditions wouldn’t be right.’

‘I know I told you to back off, but I’m starting to wonder if you were right and there’s more to this than meets the eye. I thought you said your dad hadn’t mentioned her since they met for a drink.’

‘Me too, and he hasn’t. That’s why I want to ask you a favour.’

‘Uh-oh.’

‘I was wondering if you could perhaps sound her out a bit. You know, woman to woman. Find out what she thinks is going to happen.’

‘I’m not sure, Will. Your dad won’t thank us if he thinks we’re interfering.’

‘Given how much he’s tried to interfere in my life since I moved back, I don’t think he’s got much of a leg to stand on there.’

‘Even still…’

‘I’m not suggesting the whole shine-a-light-in-her-eyes-style interrogation. Just, you know, if the opportunity arises to talk about Dad.’

‘You mean you want me to engineer the opportunity.’

‘I never said that.’

‘It’s what you meant though.’

He does at least have the grace to look guilty. ‘If you were able to find anything out, I’d be grateful. No pressure.’

‘Fine. I’m not promising anything though.’

‘Thanks, Tilly. I owe you one.’

I turn to him and smile. ‘After Mike and Sarah’s performance just now, we’re probably quits.’

30

Flying club turns out to be even more bleak than I feared. Any hopes I might have harboured about there maybe being a clubhouse or somewhere that I could go to escape the biting cold are dashed; it’s literally a field with a load of cars parked at one end and a gaggle of people and various model aircraft at the other. There isn’t even a van selling hot drinks.