Forty-five minutes later we are all done and sitting in Rossi’s drinking Chianti and waiting for Georgie.

‘I’m feeling rather nervous,’ says Connor, wiping his forehead with the back of his hands. ‘What if she doesn’t like me?’

‘Don’t be silly,’ I say, taking a breadstick and snapping it in two. ‘Here, have this. It’ll calm your stomach.’

‘Sorry I’m late, darling.’

I look up and see my sister rushing towards us. Her hair is smooth and shiny, as though she’s had a blow-dry, and I notice she’s wearing more make-up than usual. It seems she’s just as keen as Connor to make a good impression.

‘Don’t worry, we’ve only just arrived,’ says Connor, getting to his feet. ‘I’m Connor. It’s lovely to meet you at last.’

He shakes Georgie’s hand and, as he gestures to the waiter for an extra menu, Georgie gives me a wink.

‘I arrived in town early and decided to pop into the gallery, which was a huge mistake as I ended up getting caught by Bill, who had a barrage of questions for me about the new exhibition,’ she says, shrugging off her coat and handing it to the waiter. ‘You know what he’s like. Ooh, look at this lovely menu. I think I might have the bream.’

I smile to myself. Georgie is talking nineteen to the dozen as always. It takes a bit of time for new people to get used to this. Connor, however, seems unfazed.

‘Exhibition?’ he says, taking a sip of wine. ‘What are you showing?’

‘It’s a retrospective of Paula Rego,’ says Georgie, helping herself to a breadstick. ‘We’re putting it together in collaboration with the Tate.’

‘Paula Rego? Wow, no way. She was the subject of my dissertation,’ says Connor, his eyes widening.

‘Really? How wonderful,’ says Georgie. ‘Well, you should come over and see it.’

‘I’d love to,’ says Connor, his voice brightening.

‘I tell you what,’ says Georgie, pausing as the waiter arrives with her wine. ‘How about you come over one lunchtime when it’s quiet? Bill, my curator, is something of an authority on Rego. He’ll give you a private tour, so to speak.’

‘Thanks,’ says Connor, smiling. ‘That would be amazing.’

‘So, Vanessa tells me you grew up in Harrogate,’ says Georgie, taking a sip of wine. ‘That’s a lovely part of the world. Do your folks still live up there?’

‘Er, my mum does,’ says Connor, brushing his hair out of his eyes. ‘My dad lives in the States.’

His voice alters when he mentions his dad. It’s clear the divorce is still a sore subject.

‘You’ll have to take Ness up to Yorkshire,’ says Georgie with a laugh. ‘She’s a great hill walker, aren’t you, Ness?’