Madeleine shrugged, her expression clouding with frustration. ‘I don’t know, exactly. As you say, I’ve been busy, and with you now a full-time Stepford Wife – I assume that’s what you meant by “new job” – my insider knowledge is somewhat diminished.’

Gabriela pulled a face, looking away as she said, ‘It won’t be for ever.’

‘You don’t have to defend yourself to me. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do … I think it’s great! Anyway, from what I’ve heard, the FCO decided to roll with this version of events to avoid a larger embarrassment. We both know we weren’t the only ones who were onto him, and it seems this option was deemed preferable to having the reputation of the organisation placed in jeopardy if the whole truth came out.’

‘What whole truth?’

‘Oh, come on, Gabs – if I knew that …’

Gabriela didn’t know what to say. The fizzing in her stomach was part satisfaction at knowing he’d been caught out, if only for a diversionary reason. His reputation was still in tatters, and that was something. Yet she couldn’t help but wonder who he might try to bring down with him. Although, from what Madeleine was implying, he was not being encouraged to speak out, rather to disappear quietly.

‘Anyway,’ Madeleine said, changing the subject. ‘What’s making you look so worried?’

For a moment, Gabriela considered drilling her for more information, but she knew Madeleine, and there was no point in probing further if she was not in the mood to share, assuming she knew any more than that, which there was no reason to believe she did. Besides, it wasn’t in Gabriela’s interest to encourage Madeleine to keep digging. Not now.

‘It’s Sadie,’ Gabriela said. ‘She’s been really anxious. I don’t know, I just feel like I’ve fucked everything up.’

Madeleine stretched her hand across the table and squeezed her arm. ‘You have not fucked everything up. Don’t say such ridiculous things.’

‘No, Mads, I really have.’

‘How? You’ve done what you thought was best for your family, I’m in awe of you.’

It was out of character for Madeleine to say something so heartfelt. Looking away, Gabriela was briefly bitten with shame and she thought how easy it would be to tell her, how easily she could let it all spill out: about Emsworth, about her affair with Ivan, her pregnancy, the lies she had told Tom about her job … The fuck-ups that were so huge, so sprawling that she could barely think about them as anything other than a sequence of individual facts for fear that they would otherwise steamroll her.

What shall I do? Part of her wanted to scream, to fold herself into her friend’s arms and feel herself disappear, even if just for a minute.