‘I don’t know, but if he’s actually had students, who couldn’t all be sworn to secrecy, he should do by then.’ Laura was still miffed and tried to shake herself out of it. Another sip of wine helped. ‘How’s the music festival going?’

‘OK, I think. We’ve got one or two quite famous bands who have almost definitely confirmed. And Monica, of course. Did you and she have fun in Ireland?’

‘Gosh yes. She’s a real laugh. She made me hire a bicycle with her to go and track down an old boyfriend.’

‘Did she find him?’

‘He wasn’t in when we first arrived on our bicycles, thank goodness, considering I was giggling so much I was nearly wetting myself. And afterwards, when she had a another chance to visit him, she got no reply either.’ Finding she didn’t want to explain now about why Monica was on her own for a day, she moved on. ‘But she was a great travelling companion. Made me go to the pub and things.’

‘Was it a real Irish pub with music and lots of crack?’ asked Rupert, still stirring his gravy.

‘I don’t think anyone was taking drugs,’ said Laura, pretending to misunderstand.

Fenella laughed. ‘It sounds fun. And is Dermot Flynn really “Oirish”?’

‘He has a definite lilt but he doesn’t sound like someone out of Father Ted.’

‘Oh! Father Ted! How wonderful was that?’ Fenella sighed.

‘Are you two planning on doing any work tonight?’ said Rupert. ‘Do you want more wine or not?’

‘Yes please,’ said Fenella. ‘We decided we’re going to start early tomorrow. Tonight we can just toss around ideas.’

‘Alcohol always helps with that,’ said Rupert, pouring. ‘And we’re just about ready to eat.’

‘I’ll set the table.’ Fenella reached into a drawer and pulled out a random selection of knives and forks. Then she cleared one end of the table with her elbow, sending a miscellany of papers, a fruit bowl, a pile of clean underwear that had presumably been drying over the Aga and a screwdriver up the other end. Fortunately it was a long table.

‘I should really have tidied up a bit more for your visit,’ Fenella went on apologetically, setting places. ‘But I never seem to unless we’ve got a huge event on. We don’t do weddings much in the winter so we never see the whole table cleared until spring. Maybe we should just force the family to come to us for Christmas. Then I’d do it.’

‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a huge joint of beef,’ said Laura, watching Rupert carve.

‘It’s locally produced,’ said Fenella, ‘and we’ll eat it cold for ages now, with soup and baked potatoes. I’m always a bit vague when it comes to ordering meat. I seem to buy it by the haunch rather than the pound.’