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when he heard the study door open, he cringed.
    A few moments later, he heard the explosion he had anticipated.
    â€œWhat do you think you’re doing?” Chance asked.
    Rich took a deep breath, then went to see what was happening.
    Jade had been pouring beer down the kitchen sink. Empty bottles were neatly arranged on the worktop, and now she’d started on the champagne. The room reeked of alcohol.
    Jade and Chance were staring at each other, and Rich would not have put money on who would blink or look away first.
    â€œLet’s just all calm down,” Rich said. His voice seemed quiet and strained and rather weedy, even to himself.
    â€œI am calm,” Jade said. She didn’t sound it.
    â€œMaybe we should…” Rich swallowed, “…talk about this.”
    â€œI’ve nothing to say,” Jade replied. She was still locked in a staring match with her father.
    â€œFine,” Chance said. “Then you can listen. Both of you.” He broke from the confrontation with Jade as he turned to glare at Rich. “In the living room. Now.”
    â€œI don’t—” Jade started to say.
    â€œNow!”
    She didn’t finish the thought. She pushed past Chance and Rich and went and sat on the sofa. Rich hesitated a moment, then went and sat beside her.
    Chance stood in front of the fireplace, facing them. He looked down at the coffee table between them.
    â€œWhere are my cigarettes?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Rich said. “Haven’t seen them. On top of the telly, maybe?”
    â€œSo you’re going to smoke at us again, are you?” Jade asked.
    â€œI’m going to tell you some things that you may not want to hear,” Chance said. “And some things that you may not believe, but need to know.”
    â€œSo no slouching at the back,” Jade muttered.
    Despite himself, Rich giggled.
    â€œAbsolutely,” Chance told them, deadly serious. “It’s bad for your posture.” His mouth twitched, just slightly. But it was enough to defuse the tension a little. He took a deep breath, as if gathering himself for what he was going to say.
    Rich waited to be shouted at. He and Jade were used to being told off, and despite her bravado, Rich knew that Jade didn’t like it. He could feel how tense she was. He just hoped she’d take it and not yell back like she sometimes did at Mum. Or used to.
    But Chance didn’t shout. When he spoke, his voice was calm and quiet. “You’ve been through a lot,” he said. “I know it hasn’t been easy for you, even without the upheaval of coming here and coping with me. It’s difficult, losing someone you love. Especially the first time.”
    â€œLike you’d know,” Jade said.
    â€œI said you might not believe what I say,” Chance told her. “But I do know. I lost both my parents before I was twenty. But this isn’t about me, it’s about you. Right now it’s you two who are important. We don’t know each other yet, let’s not even pretend that we do, but I hope we will. I guess there’s never a good time for what’s happened, but right now may be evenmore awkward than it should be.”
    â€œWhy?” Rich asked.
    Chance sighed. “One of the most awkward things is that I can’t tell you. Not at the moment. There are things about…” He hesitated, deciding how to phrase what he wanted to say, “…things about my job that I can’t tell you right now.”
    â€œLike why you have a security thing on the phone?” Jade said.
    He nodded. “It’s a scrambler. For secure conversations. My work is important and it’s taking up a lot of my time just now. I have some things I need to finish up – urgent things. I can’t have distractions.”
    â€œIs that what we are?” Rich said.
    Chance smiled. “With the best will in the world, what do you think?