Robert lifted a bottle of Sancerre from a wine cooler on a silver stand. With the air of a sommelier, he removed the cork cleanly and began filling glasses, careful to have the label on show for the benefit of his guests. In her youth, Claudia would have been more interested in the label on the back. The higher percentage proof, the better.

Robert stood with one hand behind his back as he leant forward, but he didn’t immediately fill Claudia’s glass. ‘I could get you a soft drink if you prefer?’

From the corner of her eye, Claudia noticed Phillipa stiffen. Good grief, they thought she was pregnant. ‘Wine is absolutely fine. I’m hoping it will settle my stomach,’ she insisted.

‘We are trying to cut back,’ Justin said above the glug of wine being poured. ‘Claudia wants us to do Dry January.’

‘I didn’t know people still did that,’ replied Phillipa. Her idea of a detox was more likely to be a week at a premium wellness retreat, complete with colonic irrigation.

‘The truth is, we’re trying again for a baby,’ Claudia said, to clear up any doubt about her current condition. ‘And the fitter we are, the better our chances.’

‘It’s a shame about what happened,’ Robert said, repeating what had become a worn-out platitude.

Phillipa sliced into the terrine. ‘It must be so difficult when there’s constant news of other couples having babies,’ she said. To press home the notion, she added, ‘I suppose you heard that Sasha had a little girl?’

Justin twisted the stem of his wine glass. ‘Yes, we heard.’

Their host gave Justin a look of apology, while keeping his wife in her peripheral vision. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up. I know how much you and she longed for a family, but if it can happen for Sasha, it can happen for you two.’

‘We sent a small gift,’ Claudia said brightly.

And it had been very small; a token gesture that said they were happy for the new parents, and that it wasn’t awkward at all.

‘That’s so sweet of you,’ Phillipa said in a tone that was usually accompanied by a pat on the head. Instead she offered Claudia a slab of salmon mousse.

Robert topped up Claudia’s glass before the first course was over – the wine had made the food more palatable. She forked tiny slivers of terrine into her mouth, using her teeth to scrape it off the tines so her lips didn’t have to touch the food. There were times like this that she longed for some salt and pepper ribs from her favourite Chinese takeaway. Salmon terrine was the price of her success. She hoped it was the only price.

The conversation moved on and Claudia chose not to engage in talk about the housing market, until Justin dropped her in it. He really thought they were amongst friends.