Dolly beamed at them as they walked in, taking in Maeve’s old lilac coat with a wince, remembering the suede and leather coat Georgio had bought for her and which, to Dolly’s knowledge, she had never worn.

‘Hello, Dolly love. This one is so bloody busy these days, I said to Mario here, “We’ll descend on her early in the morning, we’re bound to catch her in then!”

Mario grinned. ‘You’re looking well, Doll, it’s nice to see you.’

She nodded and set about making the coffee. She observed Mario surreptitiously, taking in the effeminate features and gestures. He was like a poor man’s Georgio, except where his brother’s face was chiselled and manly, Mario’s was womanish. Indeed, it seemed a shame to Dolly, and Maeve if she could have admitted it out loud, that Nuala hadn’t got Mario’s features and he Nuala’s. Dolly watched the way he picked up his cup and sipped his coffee fastidiously. The way he used his fingers as a comb to push his hair out of his eyes. The way he raised his eyebrows as he spoke to emphasise a point. Dolly sighed heavily. He was as bent as a nine-bob note, all right. She would lay money on that.

Maeve watched her son eagerly. He had always had a rapport with Donna and now he was making her smile and Maeve could have kissed him for it.

‘Are you still working with John?’ Donna asked.

Mario shook his head. ‘No, Don, I’m afraid we had a bit of a falling out. I’m seriously thinking of going abroad for a while. My Uncle Costas in Rhodes has offered me an opening out there. I’ll see how I feel. I quite fancy a year or two in Falaraki. I know it’s a bit of a shithole, but I thought if I moved into a small apartment in Lindos, I could have the best of both worlds. You know, the madness and frenetic pace of Falaraki and the tranquil beauty of Lindos. Also my friend Casper lives there and I can bunk in with him for a while till I get me bearings.’

Donna saw the tightening of Maeve’s lips and felt an urge to giggle. She must know Mario was homosexual, he seemed to exude it as other people did sexiness or charm. Unlike Maeve, Donna would have been thrilled to have been given a son like Mario. Homosexual or not, he was a good, kind, respectable person and that was the main thing as far as Donna was concerned. He had never been a day’s trouble to Maeve and Pa Brunos. He had worked hard at school, gone on to the Poly in Barking, which was now the East London University, and had done very well for himself.