She wants to ask him more about the house, but now’s not the time. It’s important they talk about what she saw on the TV. ‘There was a reason I couldn’t sleep last night,’ she begins.

‘Because you were missing me?’

She knows he’s teasing her, but he doesn’t realise how right he is. She’s been missing the real Rob.

‘You remember you once told me about your doppelgänger?’ she continues.

‘We’ve been through this,’ he says casually. He’s doing something else again, sounds distracted.

‘I know, but it’s been really troubling me. Has done ever since you mentioned it.’

‘Listen, it was just an old phobia, nothing more. Read too many gothic novels when I was a teenager.’

‘But does it still frighten you?’ she asks, more firmly now. ‘Meeting your doppelgänger again. Being found. Having your life taken over by a double.’

‘It seems to worry you more than me,’ he says, making light of her question. ‘I would never have mentioned it if I’d known that it would upset you like this. I was on my own when I had all those fears – a lonely geek, coding in my bedroom and playing too much Mortal Kombat. I’m not on my own now, Kate. Still a geek perhaps, but definitely not lonely – thanks to you.’

‘I’m just worried for you, that’s all,’ she says, trying not to become emotional.

‘You worry way too much, you know that,’ he says, pausing. ‘And I love you for it.’

‘I lost Stretch today,’ she says, thrown by his sudden expression of affection. ‘Found him in your office.’

‘My office?’

‘The door was open.’

‘I left in a rush yesterday,’ he says, ‘and I can’t seem to lock it remotely. More teething problems. There’s a lot of valuable stuff in there, computers mainly.’

‘That picture must be worth a bit too,’ she says. ‘The one behind your desk – Rossetti’s doppelgängers.’

A brief pause. ‘How They Met Themselves?’

‘You never mentioned it before. Is it an original?’ She knows he collects art privately as well as holding his charity exhibitions in hospitals.

‘I bought it at auction years ago. Long before we met. As an investment. Rossetti did four versions. The other three are in public galleries.’