She chuckled darkly. “Don't worry, I'll be demure and saintly. I'm on my best behavior, remember? Your ex-father-in-law is safe with me."

"Is he an ex?" I wondered aloud. "I mean, Hugo's my ex, sure, but Roger is still Peter's grandfather, and I haven't remarried, so technically . . .”

"Yes, but Peter's his blood, you're not."

“True. Ridiculously, I still think of them as my in-laws. Isn't that weird?"

"Beyond bonkers," said Celia cheerfully. "But then I think you prolong the whole relationship just to get up Christina's nose."

"Absolutely not," I replied vehemently. "And anyway, nothing could get up Christina's nose," I added, somewhat ruefully.

Christina, my ex-husband's second wife, a lovely, gracious creature, the soul of kindness, actually, had been nothing but tremendous to me and Peter: so inclusive and generous and uncomplicated, never questioning that I might want Hugo to go to every single rugby match at Peter's school, every parents’ evening, every house play with me beside him, of course — even persuading him to pitch up, and not to worry if it clashed with their own children's events, she'd go on her own; they were too young to mind. I told Celia so now.

“Making sure he's perceived as the model divorced father," she said caustically. "Just as Belinda and Roger are keen to be perceived by one and all as the model ex-in-laws and grandparents. They're a calculating lot, those Bellingdons."

"And you, Celia Lonsdale, have got a nasty mind. They were all totally beside themselves at how it turned out, as well you know."

"Guilt," she said primly. “They all know they behaved badly and are praying you'll find a new man and be happy. Belinda is on her knees most nights. The deliciousness is that you categorically won't, so they can't all relax, dust off their hands and say, ‘there. How splendid. Flora's found someone at last.’”

"Only because they want me to be happy," I replied uncertainly.

“Hardly!” She snorted. "As if they care." But this last was said softly and I ignored it. I was well ahead of her, anyway.

“She will ask, you know. Belinda. About my love life."

"Oh, I don't doubt it. And you'll say it's all going swimmingly, when in fact we both know it's Tim when you're really bored, and Rupert when you're feeling up to the banter."

I took a hand off the wheel and bit the skin around my thumb. “Thing is, Cele, I don't really fancy either of them. Wouldn't actually care if I never saw either of them again."

"I know," she said quietly.