Tom didn’t bother to ask how Jack had found it. A family tradition had been to keep a spare key in a polythene bag buried under a rosemary bush. And even if Tom had set the alarm before he and Louisa had gone out to dinner, he had little doubt Jack would have cracked the code.

For now, though, he had to focus on Louisa. He had hurt her, something he had never intended to do, and he had to hope and pray that she would understand.

Tom poured Louisa a glass of red wine and a whisky for himself.

‘Let’s go through to the sitting room,’ he said. ‘It’s a long story, and I want to be facing you as I tell it.’

At least she seemed prepared to give him a chance to explain, but he could feel she had emotionally withdrawn. She wouldn’t shout and scream at him for lying to her, nor would she storm off in a temper. She would listen, and then she would decide. He needed to tell this story well.

Louisa sat back against the overstuffed cushions of Tom’s sofa, and he took a seat opposite her, leaning forward with his forearms resting on his knees, clutching his whisky glass in both hands.

‘I think it’s best if I give you the abbreviated version of this story – get to the crux of it quickly – and then we can spend as long as you want on the details. Is that okay with you?’

Louisa gave him a small nod.

‘Jack was involved with a criminal gang and got in over his head. It started when he was in his teens, and when he wanted to pull out not only was he threatened, but the whole family – his fiancée, me, Lucy, everyone who mattered to him – was in danger. The only way he could see to escape was to fake his own death and make sure nobody knew. Not even me. I mourned my brother for years. I didn’t lie to you about that. I was devastated. I knew nothing about the life he had been leading and the events that had driven him to make that decision. All I knew was that he was extremely wealthy as a result of his computer security company. He left most of his money to me.’

Tom took a sip of his whisky. He had noticed Louisa’s slight frown when he said how devastated he had been, and hoped this meant that – even for a moment – she understood.