A few shoppers looked at us as I brought her closer: we were two men embracing. ‘Of course.’

The shop boy coloured scarlet as he tried to work out who it was he should be serving. ‘Me,’ said Charlotte, ‘I want to try it on, please.’

I sat in a chair meant for waiting wives. The boy changed to a yawning salesman, but the looks from the other customers continued, and I briefly wondered if we were in some kind of trouble. But I put that thought away. Together, we were storm-proof; I knew it.

Maybe it was the curtain, closing her off, that afforded me the confidence to speak. ‘Irmi said the Bauhaus has moved to Berlin. Jenö didn’t mention that in his letter.’

‘I heard,’ she said. Her hands shot above the rail, pulling down the shirt. ‘Bizarre that the Director thought Berlin safe.’

‘There’s probably nowhere in Germany that wants the Bauhaus right now.’ A pause. I would say it: name what was between us. ‘Jenö was at Irmi’s. Did you see him?’

The curtain stopped moving. ‘Yes.’

‘He looks well.’

I wondered what she was doing, whether she was staring at her reflection in the hot lights. Whether she’d be saying to herself, just tell him the truth. Tell him you’re in love with Jenö. That you knew this fact as soon as you saw him again last night. She came out and began tucking the shirt into her trousers. ‘How do I look?’

I wanted to say: stupid. You look ridiculous.

She must have seen my face. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘I’m fine,’ I said, though in my heart there was a darkness, building into something big; sepulchral.

‘Paul?’ She put her cool hands on my cheeks. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing.’

(Nothing! nothing! All you ever do is nothing!)

Wisely, the salesman slipped away, and Charlotte disappeared again behind the curtain. ‘Irmi should have told us he’d be there,’ she said. ‘It wasn’t nice to spring him upon us. I was as shocked as you. It doesn’t mean anything; that he’s in Berlin.’

‘Then why did you leave so quickly?’

The curtain snapped open. Her regard was cool. ‘I had a headache, I told you. Look, I didn’t want to talk to everyone there. I didn’t want to be there with all those people. They’re your friends, Paul. Not mine.’

‘I don’t understand who your friends are if it’s not them. Kaspar. And Irmi, and the rest.’

‘It was a shock. All right? I’m allowed to be shocked. I haven’t seen him in years.’

Our man returned. ‘Sir. Other people are waiting.’

‘We’ll go,’ she said. ‘We’ll take it.’ She handed over the shirt. Then she looked at me, her light eyes focused. ‘Paul. I’m warning you not to get carried away with this. Do you hear me?’