‘What I was most conscious of at the time was of the lack of contact with members of the opposite sex.’

‘You do surprise me,’ said Rochi.

‘Not as conscious as we were,’ said Sophie. ‘We were boy crazy.’

‘Boy mad,’ said Rochi.

‘We chased them round shopping centres at the weekends.’

‘What did you do when you caught them?’ I asked.

‘Educated them,’ said Sophie.

*

Sophie wanted to take us to a place on Portobello Road that was ‘so grotesque it was barely believable’.

Cockburn was going to have a starter with Emily and the rest and join us as soon as possible afterwards.

We turned past the florists and delis into Ladbroke Grove, walking past houses painted in delicate pastels. In their tall window panes we could see through long rooms to more tall window panes and flowering gardens behind them. Then we turned onto a road of terraces like the one Emily and Andrew lived in, a long cream stretch of pillars and railings and sash windows looking over a locked park.

‘In the 1980s I think Philip Roth used to have his writing studio somewhere around here,’ I said.

‘I knew you’d like Philip Roth,’ said Sophie.

‘Did you grow up in one of these places?’ I asked her, trying to avoid starting our argument up again.

‘No,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what impression you’ve reached of me, but I didn’t grow up rich.’

‘I was wondering, you see, because your dad lives close by.’

‘Yes, he does.’ She looked more interested and put her hand on my arm. ‘Have you been round?’

‘Yes, I interviewed Emily there.’

‘I see.’

‘You have to be stupidly rich to have one of these,’ said Rochi.

‘You do now. I grew up in Clapham,’ said Sophie. ‘I’m staying there at the moment with my mum. It’s Rochi who’s from round here.’

‘I’m not really from round here. I’m from Kilburn.’

‘Your parents’ house is not in Kilburn.’

‘It’s not like this. Where are you from, then?’ asked Rochi. ‘More specifically than oop north?’

I did my routine, the bleak beauty of the peninsula, almost an island, the psychological effect of the isolating landscape. They listened politely.

‘I don’t want you to think I was saying there’s no such thing as regional inequality,’ said Sophie.

‘If you’re not careful we’ll start agreeing on things,’ I said. ‘Then we’ll have nothing to say to each other.’

‘Conversation doesn’t have to be a battle, you know?’ said Rochi.

‘Next thing you’ll be telling me that history isn’t the record of the struggle between classes,’ I said.

‘Oh, God. You two are almost perfect for each other,’ she said in disgust.

*