‘I’ve no idea – she was very careful not to give it,’ Juliet drawled. ‘But I recognise her. She was the gate-crasher at the party.’ It was how they all described that event now – as the party. The Vander family could hold as many celebrations in the coming years as it liked, but New Year’s Eve 1962 was always going to be the party.

Again, Juliet was watching her twin rather than her mother. So intent was she on sending him a silent warning that all was not well, that she missed entirely the way Millie went pale as milk and swallowed hard.

‘Well, then, ask her to come in,’ Millie said, a little faintly. ‘Goodness gracious, she must think we have the manners of Neanderthals!’ She forced a light laugh.

Millie rose from behind the table, her knees feeling unsteady, and walked to the mirror hanging over the fireplace, quickly checking that her red locks were perfectly arranged and her make-up still adequate. Her heart rate was climbing and she forced herself to take long, slow breaths.

She needed to be calm and clear-headed right now. If she could just take control of things, and turn this meeting into another inconvenient social occasion, everything would be all right, she reassured herself.

‘Fine,’ Juliet said sarcastically, leaving and returning a moment later with Phyllis.

‘Mrs Vander, thank you so much for seeing me,’ Phyllis said at once, going towards her quarry and holding out her hand, leaving the other woman no other option than to take it. ‘I have debated long and hard about whether or not I should come, but given the … er … circumstances, with Terry I mean …’ She allowed a small shrug to lift her shoulders and spread out her hands in the universal gesture of helplessness. ‘I thought it best that I should.’

Jasper moved forward at that point, and Phyllis’s eyes flickered towards him with renewed annoyance. Damn it, both brats were in attendance! She needed Millicent Vander feeling undermined, uneasy and upset – and thus vulnerable to pressure. The bolstering presence of two members of her family was not something Phyllis could tolerate.

‘I think it best if we talk in private,’ Phyllis said, lowering her voice, and looking Millicent firmly in the eye.

Millicent blinked once, her mind flashing back to the last time she’d seen Terry with this woman. And their emotionally charged embrace in the hall outside. This woman kissing Terry so hard …

With the memory of that betrayal, back came the same rushing tide of emotions that she’d felt back then; that moment of stunning shock, quickly followed by despair, jealousy, hurt pride and finally a wave of anger so strong it had almost seemed to lift her off her feet.