‘Well.’ Blake took another two steps. ‘It started out being about wanting to take a really good, kind, generous-hearted woman out for a special evening, because I have heard about all the good things you have done, and how much people think of you round here.’

‘Really?’ Sue was surprised. ‘I always thought they all thought I was quite annoying.’

‘Oh they do,’ Blake said. ‘They love you too, though.’

‘That’s nice.’

‘And then—’ Blake took another step closer ‘—I wanted to take away some of the pain you are feeling now, just for a little while. Take your mind off of all the things that are happening, because I liked you the minute you marched right up to my door, and I don’t want you to feel sad.’

‘Thank you,’ Sue said. ‘You are very kind.’

‘And then …’ Blake was now standing back just one step below her. ‘Then you laughed, and your eyes sparkled and your cheeks flushed, and the tops of your breast quivered, and you reached out and took my hand, and I thought …’ He sighed deeply. ‘I thought I’d very much like to kiss you.’

Sue shook her head. ‘You don’t have to do that,’ she said. ‘It’s too much.’

‘Kissing you?’ Blake nodded. ‘Maybe we should have a couple more dates, first. How about we go see a movie, in Monaco? I’ll fly us out to my next premiere.’

‘No, I mean this, flirting. Firstly, I am still a married woman, even if the husband in question is AWOL. Secondly, please don’t pretend that you think I am attractive and kissable, because you feel sorry for me. I know that I am not, well, at least not by your standards.’

‘How do you know that?’ Blake moved up a step, so that Sue had to look up at him, her back pressed against the stone pillar. ‘How can you possibly know who I find kissable and who I don’t?’

‘Because you are you, and everyone is perfect where you come from, not short, and a bit dumpy with frizzy ginger hair and a pointy nose! Please, Blake, don’t mock me. Be my friend. I can believe that you want to be my friend, but I can’t believe that you want to kiss me. You can understand that, can’t you?’

Blake looked into Sue’s eyes for what seemed like the longest time, and she thought to herself that when the sun rose in the morning, they would find a pool of liquid where she was standing now, because if she held his gaze for a moment longer she would surely melt like so much chocolate.

‘I understand,’ he said. ‘Sure, I’ll be your friend, for now. But in the meantime …’