“Hmm.” Lulu screwed her mouth, frowning at him.

“I love your mother very much,” he said. “You do know that, don’t you?”

“I thought I did,” she said. “And I thought she had reason to love you.”

“Ouch.” He winced. “I deserved that,” he said then. “But I do love her, and, believe it or not, she does still love me. We clearly have issues that we need to address, and we’ve talked about them and we’ve agreed that we’re going to work on them.”

“Good,” she said.

“We’re going to go to therapy,” he said. “Your mother knows someone who specializes in cases like ours. Your mother says she’s the best there is. We’re going to go to see her and keep on going to see her until we’ve come out at the other side of this, which we intend to do.”

“Good,” said Lulu again. “I’ll look forward to it.”

“Do you want to come with us?” he asked.

“God, no!” Lulu was not a fan of her mother’s profession. “Sit in a room and tell my secrets to someone like Mom who’s not Mom? I don’t think so, Dad, thanks for the very generous offer.”

“I didn’t think you would,” he said. “But I thought I’d ask.”

She looked at him, and for the first time a faint smile crept onto her face.

“I bet you’re really looking forward to it, too, aren’t you?” she observed.

He met her eyes and, tentatively, smiled back. “Every iota as much as you can imagine,” he agreed.

“Serves you right,” she said.

“You’re right,” he said. “It absolutely does serve me right. But I’d do more than go to therapy to get my marriage back. I’d do anything, Lulu—anything—to get my marriage to your extraordinary, wonderful mother back.”

“Okay, then,” she said.

There was another silence.

“You can’t ask me about jobs,” she said then.

“Okay,” he said. “I accept that.”

“Never, ever, ever, not a question, not a joke, not a word, not even a single syllable until I decide what I want to do and decide that you’re allowed to talk to me about it. It’s really annoying and you’re not allowed to annoy me now.”

“You have a point,” he said. “No talk about jobs then.”

“And you’ll never talk to that Jane person again, will you?”

He smiled a little wryly.

“I think we can confidently say,” he said, “that I won’t be talking to Jane again.”

“Okay, then,” she said. A life spent bearing a grudge would be a sorry one. “I suppose I’d better forgive you, hadn’t I?”

“I appreciate that.” With an odd formality, he bowed his head. “Your mother and I are going to the Drapers Arms for dinner. Would you like to come with us?”

“I don’t think so, Dad,” she said. “To tell you the truth, I’ve had quite a lot too much of you two over the last few days.” She thought for a moment. “Besides, there’s something else I have to do this evening.”