Without asking for an explanation, Rory obligingly put his arm round her and rested his hand on her bottom. ‘Will this do?’

‘Perfect. Veronica’s just come in, with Ben.’

‘Veronica! Oh, my God! She’ll be out for my blood – and that’s only the mentionable part she’ll be after.’

‘We’ll just both be very cool and very polite. Use your charm, but subtly. For God’s sake, Rory, if you can’t charm the pants off a woman like Veronica you’re not the man I thought you were!’

‘I never managed to charm the pants off you.’

‘Oh, stop being silly and let’s go for it. We’ll go up to her and Ben, and say hello like we really want to see them. Come on.’

She didn’t actually push through the crowds to get to them, but she did manoeuvre herself and Rory so Ben and his party would notice them quite soon.

Ben spoke first. ‘Hello, Thea. You’re looking very … thin.’

She decided against kissing him. She had kissed everyone else in the room, man, woman or child, but she couldn’t kiss Ben like that.

‘Oh, Ben, hi,’ she said, ‘and Veronica! How kind of you to come. I’ve been hearing how influential you are and I’m so grateful you’ve slogged all the way out here to see the show.’ She squeezed Rory’s hand to make him say something.

‘Veronica!’ He released Thea and embraced Veronica for long enough to make sure someone got a picture. ‘Will you ever forgive me? You do all that for my career and I ship out at the last moment.’ He looked down into her eyes in a way that Thea recognised. If Veronica had a speck of oestrogen in her body she’d have to respond. ‘Come with me to find some champagne. I want to drink it from your slipper.’

‘Silly boy!’ Veronica allowed herself to be lead away, aware of the envious glances of several other women. ‘I’m wearing sandals.’

Somehow Ben was still there, silently demanding attention. Now Veronica was out of the way, Thea felt free to ask him a question. ‘Where’s Toby? He promised to come to my show.’

‘He wanted to, very much. But private views aren’t really the place for children, are they?’ said Ben’s companion. ‘He’d be dreadfully bored.’

Thea was hurt on Toby’s behalf. He’d want to be here for her sake, if not for the sake of ‘Art’.

‘He can always come and see it another time,’ said Ben. ‘Oh, sorry, I haven’t introduced you. This is Poppy Jacks. Thea Orville, the director and creator of the gallery.’

Thea waited in vain to be told that Poppy Jacks was terribly important in the art world, which would also tell her that Ben had only brought her to be useful, not because he had anything to do with her.