‘I heard you.’ His face was stony. ‘When did you find out?’

‘This morning.’ She wasn’t going to tell him she’d been prescribed the pill. She’d probably never need it. ‘So, at least that’s one thing you don’t have to worry about.’

‘I wasn’t bloody worried about it. Quite the opposite in fact. I’d convinced myself that if you were then I’d leave Caroline and –’

‘Make an honest woman of me? No, Drew. If I had been pregnant, I would have been a single mother. I still wouldn’t have come between you and Caroline.’

‘But you have, Maddy. Can’t you see that?’ He stood up, still looking bleak. ‘Whether she knows or not, the situation is still the same. I love you. I want to be with you.’

‘You’re married!’ She hissed the words at him. ‘End of bloody sad story!’

‘Christ!’ His face was drained of colour. ‘Sometimes you can be so bloody stubborn! What are you doing tonight?’

‘Why? Are you going to ask me to make a cosy threesome at your dinner table?’

‘No. I just wanted to know. I need to know. I’m pathetic enough to want to know what you’re doing so that even if I can’t be there doing it with you, at least I can imagine.’

She shrugged. She did exactly the same thing. ‘Well, if you and Caroline are going to be out of the village I’ll probably go to Bronwyn’s wind-up meeting at the village hall. It’ll be a good idea to be seen without you. I’ll sit at the back and knit mittens with the other old ladies. And Bronwyn told me that Charlie Somerset is living at Peapods. You never said.’

‘I’ve hardly seen you. And Charlie’s living arrangements are honestly not uppermost in my mind when we do meet.’ He sighed. ‘He’s moved into the stable flat. It seemed more convenient. OK?’

‘Fine.’

He smiled then and reached for her. ‘I’m really sorry you’re not pregnant.’

‘So am I.’ She sniffed. ‘Stupid, isn’t it?’

The village hall was only a quarter full. The excitement had gone. Bronwyn and Bernie were alone on the stage; the professionals had deserted them now there was no battle to fight. Maddy slunk in at the back and sat behind Kimberley and Barty who were holding hands. Surprisingly, Peter, Stacey, and Jeff Henley were sitting in the front row.

‘This won’t take long.’ Bronwyn beamed out across her depleted audience. ‘And I am glad that at least some of you were brave enough to turn up tonight after the fiasco of our last meeting.’

There were a few muted giggles. Stacey stared straight ahead.