He grinned, put his shopping down by the side of the table and went to the counter to purchase an Americano, another latte and two cakes. When he returned, she was messaging someone on her phone, although she put it away as soon as he sat down. In her bag, not on the table. He was pleased, if not surprised, to have her full attention.

‘So, what’s your name?’ he asked.

‘Rebecca,’ she replied. ‘Like the first Mrs de Winter.’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘You don’t get the reference?’

‘I’m afraid not.’

‘That’s disappointing. I hoped you would. Somehow, I thought you’d be a reader.’

‘I’m not really,’ he replied. ‘But my cousin Rachel is.’

Rebecca smiled. ‘Nice,’ she said, and he laughed, trying to keep his smugness under control. ‘And yours?’

‘Achilles Cleverley.’

‘That sounds more like a character in a spy movie than a real name.’

‘Maybe we are in a spy movie,’ he said. ‘And, any minute now, a man is going to come in and hand me a flash drive with all the codes on it.’

‘The codes to what?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I mean, I could keep the scenario going a little longer if you like, but I feel it’s run its course.’

‘I agree,’ she said.

‘Nothing worse than a joke that’s past its sell-by-date.’

‘Tell that to Boris Johnson. So, I suppose, with a name like Cleverley, you must be related.’

‘To who?’

‘To the man with the chat show.’

‘I’m his son. The youngest child of three but by far his favourite.’

‘Then the others must be absolute monsters.’

He stared at her, uncertain whether she was being flirtatious or just downright rude.

‘So, do you have a boyfriend?’ he asked.

‘Why do you assume that I’m straight?’

‘Because ninety per cent of people are,’ he said. ‘So it’s not an unreasonable assumption. You’re not going to get all Woke on me, are you? Because I’m allergic to self-righteousness. Anyway, you didn’t answer my question.’

‘About whether I have a boyfriend? It just seems like a peculiar question to ask a complete stranger.’

‘Small talk isn’t really my thing. Have you ever been to Africa?’

‘No, why?’

‘Are you interested in astronomy?’

‘Not in the slightest, why?’

‘Do you give money to charity?’

‘Sometimes, why?’

‘Do you have a boyfriend? It’s as valid a question as any of those.’

‘Hmm.’ She thought about it. ‘No, I don’t, if you really want to know. How about you?’

‘Do I have a boyfriend?’

‘Yes. For some reason, I feel like you might.’

He shrugged.

‘I had one once,’ he said. ‘Well, not really a boyfriend as such, more a guy I had a fling with. A dancer. A friend of my mother’s. He was very handsome and I was interested in trying it out, just to know what it would be like. But it didn’t take. I tried vegetarianism once, too, but couldn’t get into that either. So I think I’m destined for a life among women. My older brother, on the other hand, is a total flamer.’