‘No. Highly unlikely.’ He put on a mock-serious voice. ‘As a doctor I can tell you that the measurements of your bones and your general demeanour indicate that it is more than probable that you will retain your slender figure into old age, regardless of your genetic background.’

‘Is that so?’

‘No. I just made it up, but it sounded very plausible, don’t you think?’

She held him with a measured look. ‘You know, I thought you’d be such a serious man.’

Christopher sat back in his chair and dabbed a trickle of olive oil from his chin. ‘Why?’

‘Well, you’re a respected doctor.’

‘I don’t know about the respected. And I’m a bit worried about the serious.’

‘So you’re not serious then?’ she asked.

‘Oh I can be. I can be very serious. But I’ve had rather enough of that. Apart from…’ His mind wandered for a few moments over the events of the previous evening, and he saw the image of Reggie Silverwood lying in the bed. ‘But I really do think I should snap out of it. Get myself out more.’

‘Where to?’ she asked, breaking off from cleaning the cooker.

‘I haven’t been to the opera for ages. A bit of Puccini, or Verdi, that’s what I need.’ He stood up and went to fill the kettle. For a few moments he was unsure of what to say, then he asked brightly, and in what he hoped was a suitably casual tone, ‘Do you want to come?’

‘What?’

‘To the opera. You said you liked Italian rather than German, so come and hear one with me.’

‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly.’

‘Why not?’

‘For a start, my mother…’

‘Your mother’s not in charge of my social life.’

‘I know she’s not but…’

‘Well, then, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t come with me.’ Then it occurred to him that she might not actually want to go with him. That she might have someone else to share her evenings.

‘But, of course, you probably have other things…someone else to…’

Maria butted in. ‘No. It’s not that. I just…well…if you’re sure…?’

‘Quite sure. I’ll get hold of the programme for Covent Garden. See what’s on. You can bet your life it’ll all be Wagner and Strauss, but we’ll have a look and see what we fancy. If that’s OK?’

‘Fine. Lovely.’