Romy had not answered immediately. She’d felt almost panicky at his request, as if even the possibility were too much for her to process. All she had in her head was Michael, Michael, Michael. So when she’d eventually replied, she’d said, ‘God, that would be lovely. But I’m not sure. It’s such a long process getting Michael settled at night and I’m always so knackered afterwards.’

There had been a very long silence, during which Romy felt she could hear Finch’s thoughts as if he had actually spoken them: Too knackered to have supper with me?

‘Pity,’ she’d heard him say, his voice determinedly light. ‘Another time, then.’

She’d known he was about to hang up and her palm was sticky on the handset as she rushed out the next words: ‘Oh, to hell with it,’ she’d said. ‘Of course I’ll have dinner with you. I’m getting so one-track, these days, I can’t see past the end of my nose … or Michael’s nose, more like.’ She heard him laugh dutifully. ‘I’d really love to see you,’ she’d added slowly, allowing her feelings for Finch to inhabit every word. And she knew he’d heard.

‘Good,’ said Bettina now. ‘Who with?’

Romy suppressed a smile her friend couldn’t see and replied casually, ‘Just a man.’

There was silence at the other end of the line. ‘Umm, what sort of just-a-man?’

‘The sort you go out with.’ Romy was enjoying herself; enjoying talking about Finch and not Michael; the future, not the past.

‘Wait … Are we talking about what I think we’re talking about?’

‘We are, indeed.’ Romy found herself giggling like a schoolgirl.

She heard her friend whoop. ‘Oh … my … God. You dark horse, Romy Claire.’ Bettina whistled softly. ‘And you didn’t think to mention it?’

‘I am mentioning it.’

‘Well, go on, then. Mention it some more.’

Unable to bear meeting Finch wearing either of the two pairs of jeans, or any of the tired old T-shirts she’d brought with her to the flat, Romy nipped out and wandered round the shops for half an hour. She came back with a wraparound jersey dress in green and gold. She very seldom wore anything except trousers these days – but it was June, and she’d been inspired by Wendy in her fetching summer dress. She wanted to look good for Finch.

She helped Daniel get Michael settled for the night, then showered and changed into her new dress and a pair of pumps, which she dug out from a box at the back of her old wardrobe – neither she nor Michael had cleared it out.