‘He won’t,’ she assured him. Not least because George was probably going to dump Mum over this, just as fast as he could. You would, wouldn’t you, if the teenage kid of the person you were dating started spreading lurid rumours about the two of you. You’d be backing right off, hands up, saying, ‘Whoa, no, I did not sign up for any of this.’

They ended the call and she lay there feeling utterly flat. All the sparkle of seeing Fraser earlier had left her. Now she just felt like a stupid kid who had wrecked everything.

Chapter Twenty-Six

And then there were three, thought Em as she retreated wearily inside the cottage a short while later. Just like that, the magic was over, the bubble had popped and she was back to normality: one single mum and her kids. So that was that.

How humiliating that this had all happened in front of Charlotte too – beautiful, professional Charlotte, who had appeared looking miraculously uncreased and glamorous despite the flight from Berlin, followed by a hire-car drive down to Cornwall from the airport. Meanwhile Em was in the rattiest old cut-off jean shorts she possessed, along with a pink vest top that had a deodorant mark under one arm. Plus her hair was like a tangled fright-wig, thanks to the boat trip, and she had no make-up on and . . . Oh God. It was impossible trying to be competitive because she had already lost so badly; she had lost everything.

She’d had to drag George into their bedroom because she couldn’t face having such a torturous conversation in front of his ex. ‘Listen, I know everything’s gone a bit mad today,’ she said, ‘and I’m so sorry. If I could explain properly, I would, but . . .’ She bit her lip unhappily, thinking of Izzie in the next room, squirming with embarrassment. ‘I can’t really tell you what’s happened. I know that sounds nuts, but I swear I’m going to make sure everything’s put right and . . .’

George was already glancing past her towards the door, as if he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. As if he couldn’t bear being trapped in here with her for a minute longer. ‘Look, don’t worry about it,’ he said, interrupting her rambling plea. ‘This didn’t really work, did it? It’s probably best if I go back with Charlotte and Seren now; I think that’s the most straightforward thing. Charlotte’s going to drop her hire car in Truro, then I’ll drive the three of us back.’