The starters were served, and Emma was soon tucking into the most exquisite scallops thermidor, with flavours of cream and cheese, and the most juicy scallops.

‘Well, this is certainly a step up from beans on toast. Delicious.’

Max’s crab was served in a large v-shaped cocktail glass, with a crab claw and a huge shell-on prawn hung decoratively over the side of the glass that looked amazing.

The food was fabulous. Emma’s turbot was served with crisp-cooked asparagus and yummy herb-buttered new potatoes and Max’s plate was piled with a selection of seafood all in a light crispy-coating of breadcrumbs. Emma tried a piece of calamari, which she’d never had before because she’d feared it might be rubbery from its thick, elastic-looking appearance, but it wasn’t; it was more like a delicate white-meat ring. Oh, it was good to try new things, new places, new experiences.

‘I’ve never been anywhere as nice as this,’ she admitted.

‘Well, you deserve to. Just relax and enjoy it. And tonight is my treat, okay?’

‘I will, and thank you.’ And with that she dipped another forkful of her thick white flaky turbot into the superb hollandaise sauce, wondering if she might yet have room to try a dessert. She didn’t want this experience to end just yet.

‘So, how did you first discover The Chocolate Shop?’

She paused and took a sip of her wine. ‘After Luke died, I used to come up to the coast just to get away from the house, go someplace else that wasn’t too near the home that no longer felt like home, and walk Alfie. We’d go for miles. And then one day I headed further than normal and found Warkton. I was walking up the street, heading back from beach, when I saw that the little cottage with its shop was up for rent. I was already making chocolates as a hobby for all my friends – just focussing on crafting something helped me get by – and everybody seemed to love the end result. I saw the cottage and I remember that feeling of possibility, like it was something I had to do, as I wrote the number down. I got in touch with the agent, went and saw the property the next day, got myself booked on a formal chocolatier course. I had some savings, which I used to buy the equipment I needed to set up the shop, and the rest, as they say, is history.’

‘Good for you.’

They clinked glasses.