Michelle named a coffee shop near court and they agreed on a time the next day. He arrived early and watched her walk in, spot him and wave to several people as she made her way across the room. Wearing a black and white dress that folded across her breasts and skimmed her hips, with her black gown slung over her arm, she was, he thought, more beautiful than he remembered. His were not the only eyes that followed her.

“So,” she said, as the waiter placed their coffee in front of them and walked away. “It sounded serious. What’s up?”

“I hear Clare’s home?”

She peered over her cup at him. “Yes. Zach, too. I saw him briefly the other day.”

Derek nodded, suddenly uncertain how to proceed. Michelle glanced at her watch.

“I have to be back in my rooms at half ten, so do you want to cut to the chase?” she said, smiling.

“What happened to her?”

Her smile disappeared and Michelle put down her cup. “Is that what this is about? Clare?”

“Zach says she has anorexia.”

“Yes.”

“I’m worried about her. Of course I am. You understand that, don’t you? What happened?”

“Understand?”

“I know you said she’s not mine and I—”

Michelle bowed her head for a moment and then looked up. “Derek, I appreciate your concern. We’re—that is, Geoffrey and I and Clare—are handling it. Thank you. She’s struggling but we’ll—”

“Did you get to the bottom of it?”

“The bottom of it?”

“What happened to make her stop eating?”

She swallowed the last of her coffee before leaning forward and fixing Derek’s eyes with hers. “It’s a complicated illness. Geoffrey and I are giving her all the support we can.”

“Like what? What are you doing? Have you contacted the university to find out what happened to her?”

“Happened?”

“Yes. Don’t you want to know what caused this? I know I do. We have to—”

“That’s enough, Derek. I have to go. Thanks for the coffee.”

“What do you mean, ‘that’s enough’? I’m not going to stand by as my daughter fades away while you and gardener guy watch. Zach says she’s unrecognisable. I want to know—”

Michelle stood up, glaring at him. “My God! You are impossible,” she hissed. “She is not your daughter. I cannot believe that you are still holding on to that fallacy after all these years! Listen to me, Derek. For the final time. Clare is not your daughter and this is none of your business. If you want to be a friend, then you will stop behaving like an idiot and give us the space and respect we need to deal with this.”

“I want to help—”

“Then back off, Derek. Back off, butt out and accept that Geoffrey is Clare’s father, in every way.”