Ned gave her a look, and for a moment she wondered if he was pondering how any child of his couldn’t possibly not know when each Beatles album had been released, and in what order, or the drama behind the production. Sighing heavily, as if realising it was his job to in fact, instruct Penny on all of the music-related trivia she was obviously lacking, he spoke again. ‘It was released on September 26th,’ he said and her ears at once perked up – the date was familiar to her.

‘That’s your wedding anniversary,’ she smiled. ‘Was that planned? Did you and Mum mean to get married on that specific date? A coming together in answer to the band’s parting?’

Ned chuckled softly and shook his head. ‘No. That was the only day the hotel was free. And your mother was set on an autumn wedding. But I like your spin on it. Of course, the album was released in 1969, and we didn’t marry for quite a few years after that. But I knew the date. And when she said, ‘This is the only date the hotel is free, otherwise it is July or November,’ well, I just knew that it was our date. So, we booked it.’

Penny smiled, delighted with this piece of trivia. ‘I’ve seen the pictures, Dad, but what was it like? The day of your wedding, I mean? Were you nervous?’

She hoped that she wasn’t pressing too much. She didn’t want him to clam up again, which she knew he could do at a moment’s notice.

But Ned didn’t. ‘No, I wasn’t nervous. If it’s right – and it was, your mum and I – you shouldn’t be nervous.’ Ned looked at his daughter and seemed to search her face with his eyes. ‘When it’s meant to be, it’s like you are as light as a feather. Though of course I didn’t know that before your mother came along. I’d never felt anything like that. Sometimes it was like I was wearing concrete shoes.’ Ned gave a small smile. ‘That changed, though.’

Penny nodded, fully understanding what he was saying, even though she couldn’t really relate; there had been a few men she had been quite mad about, but she didn’t remember ever feeling light as a feather like her dad described.

And then suddenly, her mind was flooded with an image of Colin, and how it might feel for him to kiss her, and she felt a tremor rush through her body.

‘You’re vibrating,’ Ned said, snapping her to attention.

‘What?’ she asked flushing, feeling as if her thoughts had just been broadcast.

‘Your bag,’ her dad said, clarifying. ‘It’s vibrating.’