Now she was safe Gilly felt as if she’d panicked and knew that if she hadn’t had too much wine she wouldn’t have been so impetuous. But Sebastian could be frightening and Martin could be dominating.

‘Well, it was my fault really. I had too much to drink.’

‘Why do women always blame themselves for things? Or have you been conditioned to do that?’

William wasn’t usually so blunt but it made her think. She headed towards the kitchen and he followed her. They sat opposite each other at the kitchen table.

‘I probably have been conditioned to do that. Everything was my fault in my marriage, from the roof leaking to the weather being bad to the fact I had a difficult relationship with my mother-in-law. Although she was a very strong character, my ex, Sebastian, blamed the problems we had entirely on me.’

‘So why did you feel the need to drink too much? Although you don’t seem remotely drunk.’

‘I’m not drunk but I’ve probably had too much to be legal to drive. And I did it because Martin sprung Sebastian on me. I panicked. He and Martin together can be very overbearing.’

‘You haven’t told me much about your marriage. When you were getting divorced you were always so careful to keep it as businesslike as you could. Although his attempts to get his hands on your house must have been devastating.’

From habit, she got up to put the kettle on. ‘It was. Fairacres had been my parents’ house, as you know. Sebastian never contributed much to it financially and yet he made it so I had to pay him off by selling the orchard and that bit that went for a building plot.’ She paused and smiled as she sat down again. ‘I should have let it go by now and really, I have, but seeing him tonight and him being so awful about—’ She stopped.

‘About what? Let me guess, the thought of another man going to live in what had been his home?’

‘Yes, basically. He and Martin were very territorial. I suppose it’s different for Martin but Sebastian has no right to be like that at all.’

‘Has he married again?’

‘He did, for a short while, but it didn’t last.’

‘Oh well, we won’t invite him to our party then.’

She laughed.

William picked up a pepper grinder that was on the table between them. ‘You haven’t changed your mind? Martin being unhappy about it hasn’t made you feel you’d rather I didn’t move in?’

‘If I worried about what made Martin happy I’d never redecorate! Or if I did, I’d have to keep the same colours. He’s always had a rather rosy view of what his father was like. But I’m sure he’ll come round.’

‘And if he doesn’t?’