‘But basically,’ he adds, ‘I’m interested in anything that people would like to see a film about.’

‘Maybe Nick could film Izzy Cooks!,’ I say as a joke.

‘What’s that?’ he asks, and Izzy blurts out a hurried explanation, before running ahead with Maeve and Bobby. Nick and I stroll after them towards the lake.

‘Thanks again for lunch the other day,’ he says.

‘You’re very welcome.’ He’s wearing a pale grey T-shirt and jeans, and he’s lightly tanned, and a little stubbly. It suits him, I decide. I’d still never have recognised him from the blurry photo Penny showed me, and now I’m getting to know him a little, it seems hard to believe that he ‘fusses over’ her, in the way she described; that he regards her as anything less than entirely capable of looking after herself.

‘So, how are things, now you’re staying with your mum?’ I ask.

‘It’s great,’ he says with a smile, ‘now I’ve acclimatised myself to her again.’

I glance at him. Izzy and Maeve are on the swings now, competing as to who can swing highest. ‘Acclimatised?’

Nick chuckles. ‘Well, she’s brilliant, as you know …’

‘Yes, course.’

‘And it’s all my doing really,’ he adds, hands in pockets as we stroll along.

‘What’s your doing?’

He pauses as if trying to figure out the best way to put it. ‘Mum and me – well, we were such a tight little unit, you know. When I was growing up, I mean …’

I nod. ‘I’ve always got the impression she was quite … relaxed as a mother.’ I glance at him, keen to hear about his childhood from his perspective. Angel Delight, and the library-streaking incident, spring to mind.

‘Oh, she was,’ Nick says, ‘in the best possible way. She treated me like her little mate. Mum never believed in being any different with children to how she was with adults, you know?’

‘So you were super-close, the two of you?’

‘Yep, all through when I was growing up, and then I had the audacity to start travelling – for fun at first, and later for work – and, I have to say, that was a bit difficult.’

‘In what way?’ I ask.

He sighs. ‘It was a wrench for both of us, but I was up for adventure. So it was probably a lot harder for her. I mean, she didn’t try to stop me, or cause a fuss, but I knew it hurt her when I moved away permanently.’ He pauses.

‘I’m sure it did,’ I murmur.

‘So, whenever I come over on a visit, Mum’s very … attentive, is probably the best way of putting it.’

‘Really?’ I’m tempted to mention that I hear he checks for dust and out-of-date food, but I’m not sure whether it would go down too well. ‘You mean she wants to do everything for you?’