‘Anthony and I have been married for over thirty years, there are plenty of things wrong as there are with most marriages, but we have a very comfortable life indeed. And for Anthony, a divorce would kill him – his family is his safety net from which he can go out and fuck the world.’ Joseph looked surprised either at her completely unexpected language or her sentiments. ‘I know about his affairs Joe, I know every nuance of his behaviour after thirty years believe me, but a divorce would break Anthony’s heart.’

‘Does he know every nuance of yours?’ asked Joseph curiously.

‘No,’ said Pauline. ‘He doesn’t.’

Joseph looked at her and saw that her eyes, for just a moment, had that strange hooded quality about them again that he’d seen by the river, that he remembered from the days when they were young. The world was shut out.

She had already begun to mask her feelings well when he first knew her. Just once he had seen her cry. It was during rehearsals for the West End show in 1964: it was her big, big chance but it was a difficult part, she was working long hours, exhausted, nervous, not sure of getting it right. All this inner turmoil was hidden almost always, but one day Joseph had found her in the rehearsal room at lunchtime. Everyone else had gone to the pub. To his utter amazement the cool and contained Pauline O’Brien was weeping in a corner. She was mortified when she saw Joseph, pretended she had a cold, actually fumbled for a throat pastille.

What is it Pauly? he had said.

I can’t do it I can’t do it, she had answered him, but I know I can do it but it’s not right, I know it’s not right I want to fly.

Joseph had said: what like your dad, on a trapeze?

Oh leave me alone, Pauline had shouted, how would I know? and then she had run out of the room. It was then that Joseph had instinctively guessed that her father was only a dream.

But when the play opened, she had flown, truly, and Joseph had seen it. And the critics had seen it.

Years and years ago.

Seeming now to busy himself with his oysters he kept watching her carefully. He knew her much better than she realised, even after all these years. But then in a moment or two the hooded look went from her eyes and she looked herself again, and smiled at him. He was satisfied.