‘Sophia has a ballet solo and Henry will be playing the violin and reciting poetry in French. In fact,’ Chelsea glances at the Rolex watch her husband bought her last Christmas (I got a new frying pan from Greg), ‘I’d better be going as Sophia wanted to go through her steps with me.’

Lauren and I stand to kiss our sister goodbye. We get the cheek treatment again. I want to hug her, kiss her, but Chelsea isn’t that kind.

‘Thanks, Chelsea,’ I say. Teary once more. ‘I really appreciate this.’

‘Enjoy yourself,’ my sister tells me. ‘I’m sure it will be wonderful.’

Chelsea’s idea of wonderful is a sunlounger on a white sand beach with cocktails on tap. The Kings went to Necker Island last year for their holiday.

‘I can’t wait.’

‘We’ll speak soon,’ Chelsea says. And she glides away from us to her waiting top-of-the-range whatever.

We watch our sister leave. ‘Yes, she is,’ Lauren says.

‘Is what?’

‘Related to us.’

‘I didn’t say anything.’

‘You were about to.’

Lauren’s right.

My twin sighs. ‘We are Dot Cotton and Pauline Fowler to her Krystle Carrington.’

And I’d like to disagree, but I can’t. ‘She’s lovely,’ I say defensively. ‘We should be kinder to her. We always leave her out of things, and look what she’s done for me.’

A tear slips through my lashes.

‘For goodness’ sake,’ Lauren admonishes. ‘Get a grip on yourself, Annie.’ She snatches Chelsea’s cheque from my fingers. ‘She’s bloody loaded and I want to see how much she’s coughed.’

Then Lauren gasps. ‘Oh, God.’ She thrusts the cheque back at me.

I look at the number written on it. Then I double-check that I’ve got the amount of noughts right. I gasp too.

‘A hundred pounds!’ Lauren shrieks. ‘Mrs Five Grand Watch gave you a hundred quid?’

A hundred pounds. The figures swim before my eyes.

‘I thought she’d stump up the lot,’ my sister says, aghast.

So did I, if I’m brutally honest.

‘This is very generous.’ I force the words out of dry lips.

‘Is it hell,’ Lauren says. ‘I’m going after her. She’s right. This is the very least she could do.’

‘No.’ I put a hand on Lauren’s arm to hold her back. ‘No. Chelsea’s given me what she thought was right. It’s very kind of her.’

‘Pah,’ from Lauren.

‘The rest is down to me.’

Lauren flops in her chair. ‘I got a hundred quid out of Jude today.’ She pulls a bunch of notes out of her bag. ‘I thought that was being miserly. Well, I still do.’ My sister stares at me mystified as I try to fight back my tears. ‘I thought Chelsea would come good.’

Me too. But I say nothing.