Amy considered, biting her lips, and Charley wondered what was at the back of all this reticence. Perhaps Cosmo wasn’t ready to be quite so involved; perhaps he wasn’t prepared yet to meet Amy’s father or her friends.

‘Well, see how it goes,’ Charley said easily. ‘I’m here if you need me. But I have to say, whatever this is you’re looking great on it.’

This made Amy smile and relax and they finished the bottle, said goodnight and went to bed.

Now, as Charley finishes her goat’s cheese tart and puts down her fork, Max turns to her and she smiles at him.

‘Amy tells me that you’re about to have another grandchild,’ she says. ‘I think she said your family live in Oxford. I was at St Catz …’

Max listens whilst Charley tells him about her student life in Oxford, and afterwards going from one course to another, the perpetual student. Max is fascinated by her casual approach to life, though he knows Judith wouldn’t approve. The thought irritates him. He wonders if other couples are like this: judging new acquaintances through the eyes of their spouses and being influenced by that judgement. Judith always makes her feelings very clear, though she adds the rider that he must make up his own mind. This is not as easy as it sounds. If she does dislike or disapprove of anybody it is almost impossible not to be aware of it, and by some subtle method she indicates that by having a different opinion he is being disloyal. He’s finding Charley amusing and intelligent, he’s enjoying their conversation, but he knows it wouldn’t be a good idea to invite her for coffee when Judith gets back. He’s seen that Cara has been getting on well with her, however, and when Charley mentions Cara’s quest for a place to live an idea suggests itself.

‘Amy says you live in Totnes,’ he says casually. ‘You must let us know if you see anything that looks good coming on the market.’

‘I’ll do that thing,’ she answers, smiling at Cara, who is now enjoined in the conversation. ‘You do know, don’t you, that Totnes is twinned with Narnia? It’s true! Just saying!’

They laugh, and Max sighs with pleasure, trying not to feel so happy at this sense of freedom, knowing that guilt will follow.

Cara watches him with sympathy and affection. She likes to see Max having fun and she’s suffered too much at Judith’s hands to feel particularly loyal to her.