‘It’s all very complicated,’ said Mrs Horsley, nibbling a ginger nut to aid her concentration.

‘So I went there,’ Dermot continued.

‘Where?’ asked Mr Horsley.

‘To where Laura lives in Ireland.’

Some hint of what might have happened, given what had gone on earlier, occurred to Laura. She blushed retrospectively. But joy at the enormous trouble Dermot had gone to find her was starting to warm her heart like sun on the first spring day.

‘I was banging on your door,’ he went on, ‘although to be honest, I could tell there was nobody in.’

Laura was sweating now.

‘Eventually a girl came up to me and asked what I was up to. She recognised me and went mad. Flung herself at me and said, “Oh my God! We didn’t believe her when she said she knew you, but she does! Fantastic!” Stuff like that.’ He frowned slightly at Laura. ‘I didn’t realise you’d be proud enough to know me that you’d tell your new friends about it.’

‘It was forced out of me,’ Laura explained. ‘It was at a book group. They were reading The Willows. They said you’d put in the Oedipal bit consciously. I said you didn’t. I did not say I knew you well!’

Only Laura saw the laughing message in his eyes, referring to just how well they did know each other. ‘Thank goodness for that.’

‘So what else did Shona say?’

‘She asked if I’d go and talk to her book group and I said hell would freeze over first.’ He paused. ‘Unless, of course, you’d like me to? I didn’t know it was your book group too, at the time.’

Laura thought she might cry. It wasn’t a declaration of love but it was a very, very kind thing to say. She shook her head.

‘Anyway, after a bit more banter, I asked her if she knew where you were. She said you’d told a friend of hers that you were going to visit your parents in England.’

‘So you’d left your address with your friend in Ireland?’ suggested Mrs Horsley. ‘How sensible.’ She regarded her daughter as if surprised she had shown so much intelligence.

‘No,’ said Laura. ‘I didn’t.’

‘I got back to Grant. Fortunately I had his mobile number by then.’

‘He’s only been here once. He’s usually hopeless about remembering addresses,’ Laura said.

‘He remembered the name of the town,’ Dermot explained. He looked at Laura’s father. ‘Thank God you’re not ex-directory.’

‘Hmm. Well, you never know when someone might need to get in touch with you,’ said Mr Horsley, as if he had foreseen this very occasion.

‘So here I am. If the flights had been a bit more frequent, I’d have been here sooner.’

The clock on the mantelpiece struck ten.

‘Where are you staying?’ asked Mrs Horsley.