‘But you’ve been in London these last few days?’

‘Well, I’m lucky in that I’ve reached the consultancy stage of life, the departure lounge, as I call it. I basically just sit on a few non-exec committees and advise – which sounds grander than it is. The real work starts when I come back to assess whether my mother’s been as good as gold and pottering in the garden, or out on the razz with Claire McPherson.’

I blinked. ‘Golly. I must make a note of these troublemakers. I don’t remember them. Where do they live?’

He paused. Looked a bit awkward. ‘Pains End.’

‘Pains End.’ I stopped. Put my fork down. ‘But that’s where the Carringtons live?’ I went a bit cold, suddenly.

‘Used to,’ he said shortly. ‘The McPhersons bought it from them about ten years ago.’ He didn’t look at me when he said it.

I swallowed. ‘I didn’t know that,’ I said slowly.

‘I’m sorry I brought them up, Lucy. I’d forgotten that was the house you were heading for.’

I met his eyes which were kind and truly apologetic. He meant on the night of the accident. The Carringtons had been hosting the party to which Helena and I had been invited. We never made it. And neither did someone else, in a tragic, more terminal sense.

‘No, don’t be silly. It’s been years.’

He shrugged. ‘Still painful though, I can tell.’

‘Yes,’ I admitted. ‘Not a day goes by, actually.’

‘Really? Actually, sorry, I don’t know why I said that. I can imagine. It would never go away.’ He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘I was there, as a matter of fact.’

I looked up sharply. ‘At the party?’ How odd. I’d never considered real life continuing in the wings whilst so much drama was happening somewhere else. In a quiet country lane. At a crossroads.

‘It wasn’t strictly my age group, but I knew Helena was going. In fact, if I’m brutally honest, I was only there because I knew she was bringing you.’

I glanced up at him in surprise. ‘Oh! I don’t remember—’ I’d been about to say, ‘I don’t remember you,’ but realized how rude it sounded.

He laughed. ‘No reason why you should. I was Helena’s friend, and even she was a couple of years younger than me. I just sort of – knew you from afar. When you came to the pub, sometimes.’

I remembered coming here, to the Rose and Crown, with Helena when I was home from university. Despite living in London, she still drifted back at weekends and met all her mates here: a fun, rowdy gang. Ant had been one of them. But when I moved to London, I no longer came down. I’d met Michael by then.