The Holdi wasn’t a restaurant Faith had been to before despite it being practically on her doorstep. She wasn’t a fan of Indian food, but it was relatively busy for a Thursday evening so she surmised it must be good. It was Nick’s choice and she had left it to him to order from the menu. They served Liverpool Gin; that was all she needed to know.

‘So what are you after?’ she asked.

‘Who said I was after anything? I simply wanted to do something nice for you after all the grief I’ve given you lately.’

‘You’re not the one who’s been giving me grief. They should rename the support group, the interference group,’ she said, smashing a poppadom into smaller pieces. ‘Justine can be a bit overzealous, but she knows better than to argue with me.’

‘And what about April and Tara?’

Faith was surprised it had taken Nick this long to ask what had gone on at their little dinner party. ‘They’re protective, that’s all,’ she said as she scooped up some lime pickle with a poppadom shard and took a mouthful. Spice burned her tongue. ‘Don’t expect them to give you an easy time, Nick.’

‘I know they’re not impressed with my track record, and if I could go back and do things differently with Erin, I would,’ he said, ‘but I did love her.’

‘No one doubts that,’ she replied, although she was growing a little weary of Erin’s spectre. ‘It’s what you do going forward that concerns them most.’

‘I only want the best for you,’ he assured her. ‘And whatever assumptions your friends have made about me, I’m happy to prove them wrong. The same goes for your stepdaughter. If I’m allowed to meet her.’

Faith’s eyes narrowed. Nick had remained upstairs for the duration of Ella’s visit and Faith had kept her voice deliberately low. Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for Ella. Had Nick overheard their discussion?

‘I did invite her for dinner, but she’s not interested,’ Faith said.

‘And why is that?’ asked Nick, not reacting to the lie. ‘Did you give her the story about me being your lodger?’

‘I don’t think I specified. Is that how you want to be introduced?’

Nick held her gaze. ‘No,’ he said softly.

‘I didn’t think so,’ she said with a satisfied smile. ‘And what about you introducing me to your family? Have you told your sister about me yet?’

‘I don’t get to speak to Liv nearly as often as I should, but I will tell her,’ he promised as the waiter appeared with their starters.