‘You look beautiful. I’m just glad to have you here; would you still have come if I’d made a song and dance about where we were going?’

‘Of course.’ But she wasn’t so sure. After all, she had work first thing in the morning. She’d worn her jeans, for heaven’s sake; at least they were her best ones, but still. And this place, well, she’d never been anywhere quite so fancy before. She could rhyme off half a dozen celebrity weddings that had been held here in the last couple of years and they were only the ones that couldn’t be kept out of the papers. ‘But I’d probably have suggested somewhere a bit lower key.’ She laughed, because for all its exclusivity it had enough breeding not to make her feel out of place, even if she was the only woman here not wearing a cocktail dress. ‘How did you get a table?’

‘Ah, that’s meant to be a secret, but…’ He tapped the side of his nose. She didn’t doubt he would know everyone worth knowing on the showbiz scene, what with his previous marriage to Mena Swan. Actually, the more she thought about it, this place was more than likely a second home to him. ‘Since you’re going to find out anyway, so, I might as well tell you. My brother is a chef here; he’s great for emergency dinner reservations. I know, it’s a bit starry, but the food is excellent.’

‘Phew,’ she said, ‘for a minute there, I thought I’d walked into an off-stage scene from I’m A Celebrity or something like that.’

‘Hardly. I’m as un-showbiz as you’re likely to get. I’ll introduce you to my brother Callum later; he won’t be long dispelling any mystery about me.’

‘Well, either way, thank you for inviting me. I’ll certainly remember this Christmas celebration.’ The menu was as thick as an old phone book and there was a real danger that if she fell into the coat rack on the way in, she might have never been found again among the designer coats that were lined up in the tight space allocated. Her eBay purchased Donegal tweed looked a little tragic amongst them all.

The food was, as Finn had promised, out of this world. Not that the portions were huge, but there was a delicacy to everything that left her thoughtful after each mouthful and the presentation – well, if she was an Instagrammer, it would have probably been just heaven.

Their conversation was easy and skated around everything from their work to their families and then he asked her about Eddie, and Liv found herself talking about Rachel too and before she realised it, they were ordering dessert.