‘Yes, she does indeed, Klaus, and that is one of the many reasons I want – and am honoured – to become her husband. The biggest mystery to all of us is why she accepted me.’ Both his future parents-in-law burst into laughter, after which the joke needed to be translated for Heidi’s grandparents, Elsa and Heinrich, whose slightly bemused, healthily weathered faces, topped with shocks of thick white hair and side by side on the screen, resembled portraits of sibling twins. They were keen hikers, Heidi had reported fondly, describing how they regularly walked their two German shepherds up the famous mini-mountain called the Drachenfels near their Bad Godesberg home. One of the dogs appeared now, putting paws the size of spades on the lap of Heinrich, who seized one, waggling it in salutation at Heidi and Lucas. A volley of quickfire conversation in German ensued, giving Lucas the chance to check on the time, and for his stomach to heave at the prospect of the conversation that would follow the end of the call. He wouldn’t be able to dither either, since it was almost one o’ clock and he had promised Dylan he would pick up something interesting for lunch. He did his best to maintain an expression of engagement while the on-screen exchanges continued, reminding him of the full extent of the language barrier, a fact from which Heidi’s and her parents’ fluency had always afforded protection.

He would learn German, he decided, nodding and smiling without comprehension when they all laughed. Dylan still had his GCSE books. He could use those and get Dylan to help him. It would make a refreshing change to flip the teacher-pupil, father-son relationships on their head – to demonstrate how learning never ended and should be a part of life and not something driven at solely for the purpose of passing exams. Even Esther would struggle to pick holes in such a plan.

Heidi snapped her laptop shut and stood up the moment the family farewells were done. ‘Now for me it is the library,’ she said, looping her arm through his as they walked the few yards back to the park gates. ‘And you don’t have to accompany me,’ she laughed when Lucas kept hold of her arm, turning left with her instead of right, towards his flat. ‘I know you must get home for Dylan. For these weeks he is the priority, right? We have agreed.’

‘Yes – Heidi darling – we have, and thank you, but…’ Lucas was aware of his palms turning damp and his heart sprinting. He didn’t need to tell her, did he? But they had sworn honesty, and he was innocent. ‘Actually, Liebchen, there is something I need to talk to you about…’ A frog in his throat refused to clear and he had to cough several times. ‘An unpleasant something, that just needs…’