Maya sits cross-legged next to him wearing a large pair of chunky headphones, sunscreen and an oversized T-shirt, scrolling through her own phone in tandem. Every so often they’ll show each other their screens and laugh. There’s also a roll-up being passed between them that smells quite suspicious. I don’t ask – I’m just pleased to see them both look so happy. I’m strictly an old fart whose holiday romances pre-dated smartphones and Spotify.

What did they look like in Valentine and Gisele’s era? I wonder, glancing over at them now. They’re sitting side by side in their deckchairs, sharing a flask of tea. Lapsang Souchong, apparently. Behind them a row of brightly coloured beach huts lines the front. To look at them, you’d think they were just an old married couple enjoying a day out at the seaside, without a care in the world. I grab my phone and take a photo. Capturing for ever a moment in time when that’s exactly what they are.

‘Want to go for a day out, hunting vampires?’

Having brought his old camper van out of the garage, that was how Valentine had put it when he’d asked me a few days ago. He’d remembered our conversation from before, and I jumped at the chance. I’d always wanted to visit the famous seaside town of Whitby; plus it was the perfect opportunity. With schools about to break up for the summer holidays, my tutoring work had slowed right down, so I had lots of free time.

But who knew for how much longer? I hadn’t missed being in the classroom, but I had missed the salary. Being sensible about it, I knew I should probably return to full-time teaching, yet I’d kept putting off applying for jobs.

Plus this way it meant I finally got to meet Gisele. I’d heard so much about her, but Valentine hadn’t wanted me to see her in the care home. ‘She wouldn’t like it,’ he’d said, when earlier I’d suggesting accompanying him on one of his regular visits. ‘She’s such a proud woman. She always said first impressions count.’

If the truth be told, I also think Valentine needed an extra pair of hands on his day out. He would never say it, but it was a lot for him to manage. Gisele had her walking stick, but she could be a little unsteady on her feet, and it was easier if there was someone to help her in and out of the camper van. Although, as it turned out, there were three extra pairs.

‘More the merrier,’ Valentine had said, when I’d asked if Will and Maya could come along too.

Gisele was tinier than I’d imagined, with finely turned ankles and bright eyes the colour of hyacinths. She was dressed immaculately in a smart navy trouser suit teamed with a silk scarf, which she wore effortlessly around her neck – how do French women do that? And a wide-brimmed sunhat, which no doubt explained her beautiful skin.