Looking down the street, Tom saw an elderly woman trudging towards him. Despite the afternoon heat, she was wearing a thick brown cardigan, a plaid skirt and the sort of tights that doubled as bandages. Mrs Kerrigan rarely bought much but she liked a natter. (Sample conversation: ‘The politicians have the country ruined, Tom, ruined.’ ‘They do, Mrs Kerrigan, they do.’ ‘We should give the place back to the Brits and apologise for the state of it.’ ‘Ah, that might be going a bit far, Mrs Kerrigan.’) He decided he’d better go inside and clear away his books and papers.

Tom was working on two projects. With every week that passed, he became more convinced he wanted to travel. He’d accumulated a library of Lonely Planets and a substantial file of routes and costings. Every penny he hadn’t spent on rent, food or drink was collecting interest in a savings account. They’d begin their journey in Europe before crossing into Asia on the Trans-Siberian Railway. They’d go to India, China and Nepal. They might even make it as far as Australia. They could work there. He said ‘they’ because he knew Nina would come too. She was foot-dragging at the moment, but that would change. Besides, what would be the point in going without her? He pictured the adventures they would have: the two of them seeing the world, then returning to begin the next phase of their lives together.

That was where his second project came in. Tom had blundered into a college course. When it hadn’t worked out, he’d taken the only job he could find. He’d batted away his parents’ questions and Nina’s concerns. He’d told himself that he didn’t lack ambition. What he lacked was focus. Finally, an idea had taken root at the back of his head. He was beginning to see what he might do with himself. Soon, when he had it all worked out, he’d talk to Nina.

Nina was on the patio in her parents’ back garden, flicking through a novel and attempting to get a tan. Her thoughts kept switching back to the previous night. In particular, she thought about Tess. Tess and her tawny lipstick, her wrist of friendship bracelets and her Italian leather backpack. Tess and her haughty attitude towards Julian Heaney. The way she’d waved a hand and dismissed him from their company had made Nina uncomfortable. Admittedly, she’d just received some fairly shocking news but, still, the old Tess would have heard him out. And handing him her agent’s card? Please! Who did she think she was? Cindy Crawford? Conor had also been cool towards him. But he had good reason to be cagey: his father’s work was under scrutiny.