It had been fascinating how much Meredith had minded. She was a natural feminist before the name was in common use. I wonder if she still is? Steph thought to herself. It was such a long time since she’d seen her properly, just the two of them. The only sad thing was, they wouldn’t get much privacy tonight; though Steph could probably get David to take over the guests at some point, so that she and Meredith could have a bit of time to themselves.

There was a sudden commotion downstairs and she realized Meredith must have arrived. She ran to the window and looked out, feeling nervous again. A sleek black Mercedes, the kind Russian oligarchs seemed to favour, was parked outside on the gravel drive. Steph shuddered at how much it must cost to be driven all the way from Paris to Bratenac. But Meredith’s life was one of limos and swish hotels.

She ran down the stairs to find Meredith, surrounded by a mountain of smart luggage, saying goodbye to the driver while David struggled with the biggest case.

‘Meredith!’ she shouted joyfully and, forgetting all her reservations, skipped down the front steps.

‘Stephanie!’ replied the sleek and elegant figure, dressed in various shades of taupe. She looked as if she could walk straight into the Ritz despite having just flown halfway round the world.

They hugged each other enthusiastically. ‘Get you!’ Steph teased. ‘Fancy taking a limo all the way from Paris!’

‘I know,’ grinned Meredith, clearly guilt-free. ‘Outrageous, isn’t it – but I do work very hard. Anyway, forget me and my extravagant ways. I’m so excited,’ she added. ‘Two whole weeks together!’

‘I know,’ grinned Steph. ‘Pity Joanna isn’t here too! Maybe we’ll give her a call on FaceTime or whatever it’s called while you’re here. She caught me on the loo the other day! Come on, let’s go upstairs to your room. Dinner’s all prepared. You’ll laugh, but I have a minute-by-minute schedule of what to do when.’

‘Very professional. I applaud you. I wish the people who worked for me were so thorough.’

‘Meredith, what is it you do exactly? I know it’s all to do with money, and very high-powered . . .’

Meredith laughed. ‘I work in M&A – that’s mergers and acquisitions – which means I spend my time advising businesses whether to take over their rivals. We also buy a few companies. It can be quite exciting, despite the boring name. Scary, even, at times.’

‘And you aren’t ever tempted to take things easy?’ Steph didn’t add ‘at our age’ as it would probably infuriate Meredith. She didn’t like the subject of ageing and had clearly decided it was a choice, not an inevitability.

Meredith grinned. ‘Can’t think what I’d do with myself. I’m not exactly the garden centre and National Trust type. Besides, you look pretty busy yourself.’