And she was. It was a far more intimate setting than she’d imagined. Two round tables set with eight places each, small groups of people already gathered in a seating area in front of the large bay window, which was swathed with heavy golden curtains. The lighting was subtle, the carpet deep and a delight to walk on, all soft and springy, muffling the sound. A pianist played a grand piano in the corner. Sara felt like she was in a London club in the 1930s. It was classy, very sophisticated, and she was glad of the dress and shoes.

A tall man with dark hair and an even darker beard strode towards them. ‘James,’ he said, holding out his hand, which James shook enthusiastically. ‘Good to see you. And this must be the lovely Sara.’ He bent towards her as he shook her hand, his clasp firm and lingering. ‘I’m Lewis. As in Hamilton.’ He gave a little laugh and led them over to the seating area, grabbing a couple of glasses from a tray as a waiter passed and handing one to Sara, the other to James.

Champagne? She took a sip, felt the bubbles fizz up her nose. Took another sip to steady her nerves as they joined the gathering and introductions were made.

‘Just waiting for two more, then we’re all set to go,’ Lewis said, beaming at them, his teeth unnaturally white and even. ‘Good journey?’

He was the sort of man who demanded all your attention, his eyes locking with hers in a way that made her feel it would be rude to look away. She was aware of James moving off, chatting to someone else. Then another man came and introduced himself – an importer of training shoes – and Lewis excused himself to greet the final two arrivals.

A waiter appeared to top up Sara’s glass, and she hesitated, feeling a little tipsy already. ‘Go on, be a devil,’ the man she was talking to said, noting her hesitation. She felt unable to refuse, but decided she wouldn’t drink any more until she’d at least had a starter.

Thankfully, a little while later, Lewis called everyone to their tables.

‘Everything okay?’ James asked as he took his place next to her. She smiled and nodded, glad that he was back by her side. She’d spoken to half the men in the room already and found them to be a little intense. She thought she’d done all right; had asked about their businesses and responded with appropriate feigned interest when they started telling her the details. Now she really needed a little catch-up with James to debrief on what she’d learned and find out exactly what he wanted her to do next.