‘If someone is determined to think the best of you, no matter what you do, I think that a kind of magic spell.’

The words gave him a strange feeling, as if she’d looked into his mind. Only last night he’d known that he had to think the best of Alex, no matter what.

‘Yes, it is,’ he said heavily. ‘The strongest kind there is.’

They returned to the boarding house to find Bert and Fred pottering about in the kitchen.

Fred was the nightclub bouncer, a vast mountain of a man with a sleepy, contented manner. Little Bert was an amiable ferret.

Gino was instantly at ease with them, chiefly because he wanted to know all about English sport. Soon the three of them were friends for life.

Mrs Baxter returned from school, with Nikki, who gave her mother a brief greeting before claiming her new friend’s full attention.

‘Let the poor man have a cup of tea before you jump on him,’ Laura begged.

‘But Mummy I did a picture at school and Gino wants to see it. Don’t you?’

‘Absolutely,’ he responded at once. ‘I’m longing to see it.’

‘Just don’t let her be a pest?’ Laura said, smiling.

‘How can she be a pest?’ Gino demanded at once. ‘We are friends.’

For half an hour he sat listening, with every sign of interest, as Nikki showed him her picture and explained what it was about. Only when Laura wanted to lay the table did they move.

Sadie and Claudia came in from the factory and Gino immediately asked if there were any jobs available.

‘Only in the warehouse, lifting heavy boxes,’ Sadie said. ‘I expect you want something more exciting.’

‘I’ll take what I can get,’ Gino said. ‘I can lift things.’

‘In that case, report to the chief packer first thing tomorrow.’

He did so and secured a job that brought him enough to pay his rent and a little to spare. With that he tried to slip back into the life that had been his for the last few months, living from moment to moment.