Just for a second she allowed herself to feel pure joy that the planet contained both her and Dermot, and that very shortly she would see him again.

‘Would you like me to come over and see if I can make you more comfortable?’

‘And how would you be thinking of doing that?’ His voice was teasing and full of laughter.

‘With some lavatory cleaner and a stiff broom,’ she said briskly, laughing too. ‘What else?’

‘If that’s all you’re offering I’d better have a shower instead. What time would you like to eat?’

‘Well, I am quite hungry.’ It had been quite a long drive from Somerby and although she had had a sandwich at lunchtime, it seemed ages ago.

‘So am I. I passed a quite nice-looking pub on my way in. I thought we could have dinner there and discuss what’s going on from tomorrow, check we’re singing off the same hymn sheet.’

‘That’s sounds good.’

‘Why are you laughing?’ he demanded.

‘How can you tell I am?’ Laura had to fight to stop doing it out loud.

‘I can hear it in your voice.’

He was stern now. This didn’t make Laura any less inclined to smile. ‘It’s just the thought of you singing off any hymn sheet is quite funny.’

‘I do have my spiritual side, I’ll have you know,’ he said, obviously trying to sound offended.

‘I’m sure you have. It’s just . . . never mind.’

‘Well, can you find your way to my place and then we can go. In about an hour?’

‘Fine. I’ll find where you are on my map of the campus and come and meet you.’

‘Brilliant.’

Laura held on to the phone for a few moments after he had disconnected. In an hour she was going to see Dermot. Actually see him, not just talk to him on the phone. How lovely was that?

Then her elation faded just a little; what the hell should she wear?

Seeing him again made her smile and smile. He seemed pleased to see her too. Just for a moment, she wondered if there was just more than pleasure at seeing a friend in his look, of if she had imagined it. She had so little experience, and although she felt she knew Dermot quite a lot better now than when she’d last seen him, they had only met three times, and all those times were quite a long time ago.

He kissed her cheek. ‘Well, hello!’

‘Well, hello to you!’ She had, she felt, achieved that hardest of images, the ‘I just happened to be wearing this old thing, but bizarrely, it is one of my most flattering outfits, but no, of course I didn’t put it on specially’. While she was changing for what felt like the ninth time she decided if a designer could create a line that captured this elusive look, they would clean up.