‘This is unacceptable,’ says her new boss. She sounds just like Katharine Hepburn, if Katharine Hepburn had appeared in a prequel to Robocop. ‘I was told my office would be refurbished and ready, ahead of my arrival. But the windows need replacing, it has carpet—carpet—when I asked for cherrywood parquet. Does nothing work in this country?’

And this is Harri’s fault? ‘I’ll, ah, perch.’ Balancing an inch of buttock on the table, Harri tries not to wince as the sharp corner slices into her thigh.

Mackenzie stares. The clock ticks. Harri’s stomach rumbles, and she wishes she’d made more of an effort with the chips. She’d swear that she can hear crickets chirping in Soho Square, half a mile away.

‘So! How are you settling in? Are you finding every…?’

Mackenzie silences me with a wave of her hand. ‘Harriet, The Know. I have little interest in new media, or the demographic that you will be serving. However, I understand the function of the product. Of course, you can’t be expected to compete with American offerings, The Cut, Jezebel et cetera.’

She looks at Harri as if she’s waiting for a yes, a nod. Harri settles for a non-committal, non-confrontational ‘hnnnnn’. She’s trying to seem collected, professional. Too late, she realises she sounds like Bugs Bunny tormenting Elmer Fudd with a tin whistle.

Mackenzie goes on. ‘I have been warned that you’re very ambitious. My job is to temper that. You, and The Know, are answerable to me. Panache is losing money because you and Rosa were given free rein. Editorial must be kept in check.’

Harri suddenly feels very hot. Even though Mackenzie’s face is inches from hers, her voice sounds far away, as though a radio has been left on in another room. The words don’t make sense. She concentrates hard, to hear Mackenzie saying ‘The Know is not a key growth project for Hudson. We’re keeping advertisers happy with a product offering, but your main job is to keep costs down. I understand that you had a certain amount of freedom with Panache. You’re not working on the flagship now, so I expect you to keep a low profile. From time to time, of course, you may be required to pick up elements of your old role at Panache while the team settles itself. My position will be more managerial than Rosa’s. Eventually we’ll need to hire more senior editorial staff, but for now our priority is cutting spend. It may take some time to find employees who will fit within our budget requirements.’

Wait, what? Harri recognises the words, she knows what they mean, but she doesn’t understand how they fit together in that sentence. ‘You’ll be expected to step in, as and when. I trust The Know won’t be so demanding that it will affect your availability to support Panache if it’s required.’