We’d drunk two by the time the queue had died down. The historians were keeping up an amicable disagreement throughout the signing, as those queuing directed further questions at them. Leo had reached the front and was opinionating about something, and while Andrew’s attention was occupied his student mistress had retreated a few paces to talk to a younger man I took for a fellow PhD student, or a disgruntled boyfriend. She was doing most of the talking, gesticulating and constantly twitching back to face the signing tables; he nodded, covered his mouth with his hand when he spoke.

‘It looks like she enjoyed Andrew’s performance.’

‘Chloe. Yes, she would have. His brightest student, apparently.’

‘I think that boy she’s with is worried she’s in love with him.’

‘With Andrew? Hmm.’

‘How’s the wine?’

‘Vicious.’

‘If you ever want to drink wine with me again, I can tell you that I’m pretty much always available.’

She had been watching Andrew but now turned to me. ‘Why is that, Paul?’

‘Are you asking what’s wrong with me?’

‘Precisely.’

‘I have stringent taste in other humans.’

‘I don’t believe that at all.’

‘Why?’

‘I imagine you’d knock about with just about anyone.’

‘Well, you’re insulting yourself there as well as me. Here, give me your number.’

I passed her my notebook and she studied it for a second before writing in it. She’d just finished and handed it back to me when we became aware of Andrew Lancaster standing over us.

‘Oh!’ she said, and stood up. ‘Andrew, this is Paul.’

He held out his hand, which I took after putting my book in my bag and standing up.

‘How do you do?’ he said.

‘Hi, Andrew.’

‘Did you just take my beloved’s phone number?’

‘He did,’ said Emily.

‘I shall keep my eye on you.’

‘You’ll remember: Paul came to interview me.’

‘White Jesus! You know, you’re very familiar-looking. I haven’t taught you?’

‘No, no. I wish. I went to the London College of Calligraphy. But Emily says you thought the profile was OK. Was she being polite?’

‘Not at all. If it was shit, I’d happily tell you. You asked some interesting questions. And printed a nice photo too. She looks as beautiful in it as she does in real life.’

‘Flatterer. I invited Paul to dinner with us,’ said Emily. ‘Is that OK?’

‘More than! Will you come?’

Leo was standing in earshot on his own, and looked up hopefully at me. I turned away from him and said, ‘Yes, thank you, I’d like to.’

*