‘Shut up!’ Fran hissed. ‘It is Delaney. He’s here with Suzy. You don’t have to talk to him.’

Maddy, having to ignore convention, had placed her parents and the Pughs at either end of the table, with Caroline, Fran, and Richard along one side, and Luke and Suzy, herself, and Drew along the other. She really hadn’t deliberately put Drew as her neighbour, but it was the only way she could keep the diagonal length of the table between Richard and Luke.

The dips had been a brainwave. A real ice-breaker. Everyone leaned across the table in the candlelight, clashing carrot sticks and being polite about ‘after you with the blue cheese’ and ‘is this the one with the garlic, Maddy?’

The candle glow sparkled on the glasses, making them look like crystal rather than the petrol station freebies that they were. Maddy filled them at every opportunity. Her guests were mellowing nicely.

‘You look absolutely gorgeous.’ Drew crunched celery without inhibitions.

‘So does Caroline. Drew, about this afternoon …’

‘What about this afternoon?’ He turned and looked at her with deceptive innocence. Because of the snug seating arrangements he was so close that she could see the freckles smudged beneath the tan on the bridge of his nose. ‘It was a thoroughly enjoyable time. Saratoga Sun is a brilliant horse and Suzy is definitely going to be a star. I might even have some rides for her next season when I’m up and running with my flat horses.’

Was he letting her off the hook, or had the kiss meant nothing to him? Maddy’s surge of lust was instantly dampened.

She noticed with some panic that Luke and Suzy had dispensed with the crudités and were happily sucking dips from each other’s fingers. She tried to distract her mother.

‘Mum. Has Caroline told you that she and Drew have moved from Jersey? You and Dad had some great holidays there, didn’t you?’

Caroline was soon chatting across the table and Maddy relaxed again. Richard was waving a spring onion wildly in Luke’s direction but was having too much trouble focusing for it to be a threat.

Mrs Pugh leaned across towards Maddy, ‘It was so kind of you to put all this on for our benefit, Maddy dear. Bernie and I are thoroughly enjoying it. Aren’t we, Bernie?’ Bernie was watching Suzy and Luke with a glazed expression and nodded.

Caroline turned her head. ‘I hadn’t realised that this was an arranged function, Maddy. I thought yesterday that you invited us on the spur of the moment. I do hope we haven’t intruded.’

‘Not at all.’ Mr Beckett was splashing Valpolicella into everyone’s glasses. ‘I understood it was all in aid of you and your husband, myself. With you being new to the village.’

‘No. No.’ Bronwyn Pugh noisily sucked a bread stick. ‘It was Maddy’s way of saying sorry for a little misunderstanding. Wasn’t it, Maddy?’

‘Er, yes …’ Maddy wanted to sink beneath the tablecloth.

All eyes were riveted on her. She shook her head.