Since they’d arrived in Lincoln, he’d been thinking about how he’d broach the subject of his absence with Henry. ‘Daddy’s going to work for a few days. When I come back, we’ll go somewhere very special. Where would you like to go?’

‘Can we go and see Mummy and Grace?’

He didn’t know how to respond. Henry had been just a year old when his mother and sister were killed. He had no memory of them, and Prince had felt it was best left that way. He’d tell him when he was older. He guessed Evelyn must have been talking about them.

There was a bag with some books in it, and Henry thrust one in his hands for him to read. It was the story of a little bear whose father goes to find food and gets lost in a forest. The little bear appeared to spend all his time looking out the window for his father to return. He couldn’t have chosen a worse book.

Prince was on the edge of his emotions for the remainder of the time in Lincoln, doing his best not to show how upset he was and praying for the weather to improve so they could be alone in the garden. At two thirty, Shaw came into the lounge, tapped his wristwatch and told him there was half an hour to go. Five minutes later, the rain stopped and the sun broke through. He and Henry put their coats on and went outside, his son clutching his hand.

‘You know I told you I’m going to work for a few days, Henry?’

Henry was kicking leaves and looking for the black cat and didn’t appear to be paying attention. Tears welled up in Prince’s eyes and he was grateful his son was distracted.

‘Just remember this: Daddy loves you very much and you’re very special to him. You understand?’

The boy might have noticed the catch in his father’s voice, its unfamiliar cadence. His grip tightened and he looked up, smiled and nodded as if he did understand, although Prince wasn’t sure that wasn’t wishful thinking on his part.

They left Lincoln at three, as planned. Prince cuddled his son in the hallway and then left the house quickly.