‘And he doesn’t any more?’

Matt looked at him questioningly. ‘Would you? It’s not going to work now, is it?’

‘No. I suppose not. What…er…what was his name?’

‘Bill. Bill Symons. We met at work. It just sort of clicked. He’s in marketing. More their bag I suppose. Better for business than an arty type, though I did do a bit of business studies as well. Not enough as it turned out.’ He sighed heavily. ‘Listen to me, trying to justify myself.’

‘You don’t need to do that. You’ve had a knock. Well, two knocks. You’re bound to feel bruised.’

‘S’pose so.’

‘God, what a week.’ Christopher took a gulp of Scotch.

‘Yes. I’m sorry to add to it. And sorry to hear about Tiger.’

Christopher raised an eyebrow.

‘Ellie phoned me.’

‘Ah, I see.’ Christopher started to apologize. ‘Sorry. I should have called you, only…’

‘You probably had enough on.’

‘No. It’s not that. It’s just that…well, you get used to being on your own. Silly really. Your world shrinks. Then this week it’s suddenly expanded again.’

‘Thanks to me and Ellie?’

‘A bit.’

‘And Maria?’

Christopher looked across at him. ‘Yes.’ Then he asked, ‘Do you mind? I mean, do you really mind?’

‘What’s it to do with me?’

‘A lot. You’re my son. I’d like…’

‘My approval?’

‘Well, yes. If possible.’

Matt flopped into a chair. ‘I don’t know her, so I can’t really approve or disapprove.’

‘You’ll meet her. She’s here from Monday to Thursday in the mornings.’

Matt shrugged. ‘I’ll probably miss her. If I go back, I mean.’

Christopher thought carefully about what to say. He could see his son beginning to withdraw into himself; his usual self-defence mechanism. ‘I don’t want this to be difficult.’

Matt didn’t answer. Christopher carried on. ‘It’s been eighteen months now. I’ve hardly seen your mother in that time. I don’t know what I can do any more.’

‘Have you tried to get in touch?’

‘How can l? I don’t know where she is most of the time. She has a new mobile phone. She hasn’t given me the number. And she’s made a life with a new man. What would I look like if I kept ringing her up, even if I knew the number? A pathetic ex-husband who couldn’t let go.’

His son did not reply.

‘I have to make a new life, Matt. If not I’ll just turn into a lonely and grumpy old man and no one will want to be anywhere near me–not even you and Ellie.’