‘Really? You’ll consider it?’ He had made the suggestion on the spur of the moment but hadn’t dared to hope she would agree to it. This night was turning out better and better.

‘I’ll see what Amy says.’ She glanced at the small wooden clock on the mantelpiece as it chimed. ‘Alexander—’

‘I know, I know, it’s late.’ He wanted to stay here in this little room for ever. He wanted to kiss her, undress her, take her to bed and make her his own— He turned abruptly and walked to the door, afraid of the strength of his feelings and his failing control. ‘I’ll go now but I’ll be back tomorrow to find out what you have decided.’

‘I’ll see you out.’

Once they were downstairs in the shop he caught hold of her hands again, their gaze locking in the dim light. ‘I meant what I said, Rose. I love, worship and adore you, and I’ve never felt like this before. In fact, I know now I’ve never been in love before. Since I met you I haven’t looked at another woman, I want you to believe that. I understand there might be a hundred reasons why you don’t want a romantic relationship with me, but I just want you to give me a plain straight answer. Do you care for me at all?’

After a moment, she said softly, ‘I think you know the answer.’

‘I hope I do.’

‘But—’

‘No, no buts, not tonight.’ Lifting her hands upwards, he did not kiss them but pressed them against his cheeks for a moment. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

She did not answer straight away. When she did, it was a murmur: ‘This, our – our friendship can’t come to anything. You do accept that, don’t you?’

‘Truthfully, no, I don’t, and as I said before, I won’t lie to you so although it’s not the answer you want to hear, it’s the only one I can give you. But don’t worry about it now because I won’t. My old nanny was a great one for believing in fate or destiny, “kismet”, if you like. “What will be, will be,” she used to say. “It’s all in the stars, Alexander.” It used to annoy me, quite frankly, especially if I was agitated about something and wanted her to be concerned too, but the older I’ve got the more I think that there’s something in it. Some things are meant to be. Like my horse throwing a shoe and my coming to the market that day.’ He smiled.

‘That’s a very comfortable philosophy,’ she said quietly.

‘Yes, I suppose it is.’

‘I think we make our own destiny or “kismet”.’