Sara had suggested she and James should arrive separately, given her worries about Matt finding out where she was going and with whom. They were staying at the same country-house hotel near Harrogate where the networking event had been held a couple of weeks earlier; a special offer, James had said, for network members. That was why it had to be this weekend.

As she drove through the undulating Yorkshire countryside, at its finest in its May clothes – with frothy hawthorn blossom adorning the hedgerows, the grass lush and green in the evening light – her mind had some space to work at her knotted thoughts.

I’m going to have a lovely restful time, she told herself, hands gripping the wheel tightly as the radio sang to her in the background. She’d never been on a spa weekend, although Fiona raved about them and regularly treated herself to a break away to recharge, as she put it.

She pondered then about Fiona and James. An unlikely couple, she thought. Fiona was way too forceful for a gentle soul like him. She’d trample all over him, leave him wondering which way was up. Fiona’s warning echoed in her mind. Jealous. That’s definitely it, she decided. She’d have hated to be dumped. Sara let herself imagine how the conversation might have gone, the look on Fiona’s face when James told her the relationship was over. She had such an expressive face at times – able to control her daughter with a mere stare – and she would have been horrified that he’d dared do that to her. Sara laughed, then admonished herself. That’s no way to think about a friend.

As the music played and her thoughts settled, the tension in her shoulders started to ease. A massage would be heaven, she thought, and two full nights of proper sleep without a small child worming his way into the bed, keeping her awake with his wriggling. Despite all her reservations – and with Matt’s suspicions put firmly to the back of her mind – she allowed herself to imagine that she could actually enjoy her weekend.

When she arrived, James was waiting for her in the reception area, sitting on one of the leather sofas next to the water feature, reading a book. He tucked it under his arm as he stood to give her a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. Her heart flipped as his lips brushed her skin, and she wondered again about his agenda. Nervously she followed him into the lift, a sudden heat flushing through her. What if we’re sharing a room? She closed her eyes for a moment, tried to compose herself.

‘Feeling tired?’ James asked.