She jumped in right away, asking what the lab was like, and what the career trajectory was for a marine biologist. She was shocked to hear that there were more women than men in the field and lamented the sexism in her own workplace (sales) and how she sometimes was the only woman in meetings.

‘When Andrew wakes up, he’ll want to talk to you about the octopus population here,’ she told me, ‘he’s completely obsessed.’

Andrew popped his head upstairs just as Pippa stopped talking.

‘Andrew,’ she called him over excitedly, ‘I was just telling Millie how much you want to see an octopus.’

‘Oh yeah.’ Andrew grinned. ‘I just love them. I really hope we’ll get to see one, it’s one of the main reasons we decided on this place for our holiday. I read there are loads of them here.’

‘Maybe on the night dive?’ I suggested. Octopuses are notoriously shy, and I didn’t want to get Andrew’s hopes up but if there was ever a chance to see one, this would be the place to do it.

‘Millie is a marine biologist, just like Hugh,’ Pippa explained excitedly.

Andrew tilted his head. ‘You are?’ he asked. ‘But Hugh said . . .’ He trailed off.

‘Hugh said what?’ I asked. My stomach flipped. Does he know?

‘Well, I thought you both were, but then I was talking to him about it, and he said you two didn’t exactly have the same job . . .’

‘Oh,’ I said, trying to stay chipper while I panicked internally. ‘I don’t know what he meant but we are both marine biologists.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’ Andrew blushed. ‘He said something about the lab and the field, and I got completely confused. We don’t get a lot of marine biologists in Clapham.’

‘He’s just overexcited,’ Pippa teased affectionately, laying her hand on Andrew’s arm. ‘Honestly, he’s been so thrilled he’s been half-witted ever since we got here.’

‘Well, what do you expect? It’s probably raining cats and dogs at home right now,’ Andrew said jovially. ‘Anyway, I would love to hear anything you know, Millie.’

I was so relieved that Hugh was making a snide comment about where Millie worked, and not that he thought my marine biology skills were lacking, that I let the awkwardness slide. I told Andrew everything I knew about the blanket octopus, a rare species where the females are thousands of times the size of the males and the blue-ringed octopus, which is small, spotted and extremely poisonous.

Andrew and Pippa loved it, soaking in every detail. Millie will be thrilled to know how much quizzing me paid off. Andrew’s curiosity endeared me to him quickly, even after the comment he made about his conversation with Hugh.