‘I did spot you, however,’ he said, possibly sensing that she didn’t know how to finish her sentence.

Now Laura worried that he would have seen her adoring expression, too. ‘Well done you,’ she said lamely, silently admonishing herself for losing the art of conversation now she’d got him to herself.

She rather expected him to turn away and speak to some of the other people who were standing around, all wanting a piece of the great man. He seemed to know everyone. He didn’t. ‘So, you’ve read my books?’

‘Yes. Both of them,’ she said.

To her consternation, he flinched, although it was the last thing she’d wanted him to do. ‘If you’re going to talk like that,’ he said, ‘I’ll find someone else to make conversation with.’

As he didn’t move she had the courage to say, ‘I only said—’

‘I know what you said.’ His words were a full stop on that topic of conversation. ‘Why haven’t you two got a drink?’ Before either of them could respond he’d said, ‘Charles, will you do the decent thing?’

Charles nodded and smiled. ‘Coming up.’

He’d set off for the bar before either of them could ask for orange juice. If it was alcohol, and Laura accepted it would be, she’d just sip it.

‘It’s very kind of your friend to get us drinks,’ said Laura. ‘Obviously—’ she’d been going to say that they would pay him back, but Dermot made one of his sweeping gestures.

‘I have a tab behind the bar tonight,’ he said.

‘Oh. Thank you.’

The ensuing silence seemed to amuse Dermot. It was killing Laura. Monica decided to put her out of her misery.

‘Laura’s got a favour to ask you,’ she said.

‘Laura? That’s a pretty name. What does it mean?’

‘To do with laurels. Shall we move on?’

Dermot Flynn laughed. His laugh was as sexy as his voice, Laura observed with a sort of detachment. It was like being up close to a tiger or something. It was really fascinating but somehow nothing to do with her.

‘So what’s this favour?’ asked Dermot, sipping the drink that looked like black treacle.

Laura wished Monica hadn’t said anything. ‘I’m not going to ask it because I know you’ll say no. There’s no point.’

‘I might not. You don’t know for sure.’ He seemed amused.

‘I do so know for sure,’ said Laura, falling unconsciously into the local speech pattern and swaying slightly. She steadied herself on a wooden bench.

‘Why are you so sure?’