He spins round and drops his chin into my hand, looking up at me with those forlorn eyes; the eyes Lottie and I couldn’t resist when we found him at the dogs’ home. His character is needy and touching on obsequious, but Lottie and I think that’s because he worries that as we took him from the home, we have the power to take him back.

‘Nick said we can go to the cafe,’ Lottie says.

I glance at him, and he shrugs. ‘I said you’d have to ask your mother.’

She smirks. ‘Which means he agrees.’

Nick laughs. ‘I wouldn’t mind.’

He slips his arm around my waist and we turn back along the footpath, Toffee taking the lead while Lottie roots in the undergrowth for sticks to throw for him.

It’s a glorious spring afternoon and Wimbledon Common is busy. The shrieks of children bounce across the open spaces; there’s birdsong and laughter and the occasional whistle for an errant dog. My mind is miles away when Nick suddenly speaks.

‘Will you marry me?’

I’m so surprised I hit him, not hard, just my palm against his chest. He grabs my hand and holds it there. I look up into his face. His smile is so wide, it makes my mouth stretch too.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course I am. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.’

He is shot through with adrenaline; I can see it in his eyes. I ignore the tiny voice warning me that such a huge swing of the pendulum, from withdrawn to an almost manic excitement, is odd, especially in the light of his behaviour over the last couple of days. I ignore the voice because this is what I desperately want.

He smiles and strokes my hair away from my face. ‘Do I get an answer?’ He looks so hopeful it brings a lump to my throat.

I lean over and kiss him. ‘Yes. Yes I will. Shall we tell Lottie?’

He blinks and looks away, shielding his eyes so that he can see her. ‘Can we wait until tomorrow? I want to buy you a ring first. I want that to be how we tell her. Can’t you picture her face?’

He turns and smiles winningly, and I melt. I can absolutely picture it. I’ll hold out my hand, let the gems twinkle in the sunlight, and she will spot it and squeal, and throw herself at both of us.

I put my arms around his big shoulders and kiss him. He looks down and something in his expression makes my heart ache. He looks haunted.

‘Grace, I want—’