Geraldine always had been the more assertive of the two of them, but just once Naomi wanted that dubious honour. ‘Only if you stop acting like a bossy schoolmistress,’ she said.

‘But how can I when I’ve spent my entire working life being paid to be one?’ said Geraldine with a laugh, thrusting the Bollinger at Naomi and pushing her way inside. ‘Now go and open that and let’s sit in your beautiful conservatory and discuss what’s put you into such a fearful mood.’

It was easier to do as her friend instructed and besides, what was the alternative, throw her out bodily? Which was physically impossible given Geraldine’s size. Colin used unkindly to say that Geraldine was built like a Panzer tank and with as much subtlety to her.

The bottle open, along with a pot of stuffed olives, and Geraldine now back from the cloakroom where she had gone to freshen up, they sat in the conservatory with the rain pattering down on the glass roof above their heads.

‘Why didn’t you let me know you were coming?’ Naomi asked her friend.

Geraldine raised her glass to her, then took a long thirsty swig. Followed by another even longer swig. ‘That’s better,’ she said with the kind of lip-smacking relish an alcoholic might say after a period of enforced abstinence. Then: ‘If I had asked if I could come and see you after visiting my sister over in Brighton, what would have been your answer?’

‘I would have asked why.’

‘Bingo! Because before our last chat on the telephone you would never have asked why I wanted to come and see you. You’d have simply asked me when and for how long and then written it on the calendar. But now you’re clearly suspicious that I have a motive for wanting to visit my oldest friend.’

‘Don’t you?’

‘Of course I do! I wanted to find out for myself what all the fuss is about.’

‘Fuss which Martha is creating?’

‘Partly. I hope you’re going to let me meet Lover-Boy. I must say I’m curious to see him after all these years.’

‘As if I could ever stop you doing something.’

‘You sound so defensive. Which is usually a strong indication that you have something to hide. Has he changed much? Or is he still the handsome devil he always was? I guarantee he’s aged better than Brian.’ She laughed. ‘But then let’s face it, that wouldn’t be difficult!’

‘I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you in that case,’ Naomi said quietly. ‘I’ve decided I’m going to end things with Ellis.’

Geraldine sprang forward in her seat. Had her glass not been nearly empty, she would have spilled the contents over herself. ‘End it already, why?’

‘It was never going to work out.’

‘Says who?’

‘Well, you weren’t exactly full of joyful encouragement about the two of us when you knew, were you?’

‘Oh, that was because I was madly jealous. I didn’t want you having mind-boggingly good sex when Brian and I are such a boringly middle-aged couple we’d rather watch Newsnight than shag the bejeebers out of one another.’