‘This is all a far cry from what I imagined when you suggested taking me out for coffee,’ I said, as I selected a tiny scotch egg and thinly sliced smoked salmon sandwich.

‘To be honest,’ said Joe, helping himself to a caviar blini and popping it into his mouth, ‘it’s not originally what I had in mind either.’

He groaned with pleasure, making us both laugh and raised his hand.

‘But I hope the change of plan suits,’ he said, as a waiter rushed over.

‘Oh yes,’ I said, ‘it certainly does.’

‘Excellent,’ he said, then turned to the waiter, ‘we’re going to need a few more of these,’ he said, reaching for another blini, ‘and two glasses of champagne, please.’

Within a short space of time, I was feeling replete, relaxed and very mellow. Joe had only drunk half of his glass of champagne because he was driving, but mine was all gone and had flowed straight to my head.

‘I think I’d better stick to the tea now, thank you,’ I said, picking up my cup when Joe offered to order me another glass, ‘as lovely as the bubbles are.’

‘All right,’ he said, ‘I can’t very well take you back to Wynmouth tipsy, can I?’

‘Not unless you want us to be the talk of the village,’ I laughed.

‘Been there, done that,’ he shuddered, and I wondered what he was thinking of from his past. From what Mike had said in the pub, Joe clearly once had a bit of a reputation. ‘Here,’ he insisted, ‘quick, soak some of the alcohol up with these little shrimp toasts. They’re delicious.’

We both laughed as he refilled my plate to stave off the gossips. I wasn’t going to be able to manage even half of what he had given me.

‘So, how’s life down on the farm treating you, Joe?’ I asked once I decided I couldn’t manage another bite. ‘Are you still enjoying mucking in?’

‘Oh, the farm’s all right,’ he said ruminatively. ‘Between you and me, it’s Charlie, my brother, who’s the problem. He’s running the place and refuses to see reason about anything I suggest.’

‘What about your parents?’

‘Both dead,’ he said directly. ‘Mum died a while ago now and we lost Dad a few months back.’

‘Oh Joe,’ I said. I should have realized about his mum, when he mentioned her before in the past tense. ‘I’m so sorry.’

He wasn’t all that much older than me and it was dreadfully sad that he had experienced such great loss already. Having so recently said goodbye to Mum, I realized that we had more in common than a teenage kiss and being recently reacquainted with Wynmouth.