‘Will you help me with it?’

‘You know I will,’ he said, yearning to say more.

Nicola arrived on the doorstep unannounced one evening when Christopher had gone to have a drink with his father at his club to discuss some family business. The two young women looked each other over. Nicola introduced herself. ‘Do you know what time Christopher will be back?’ she asked.

‘About half past eight, I think,’ said Marnie politely, hackles on end but consciously trying not to snarl.

‘So . . . are you living here with Christopher now then?’

‘Yes.’

‘Oh well, tell him I called, will you – just to pass the time of day? I used to live here with him too. I might have known he wouldn’t last long without finding himself a replacement. He always needs a woman around. I should watch your back if I were you,’ and having shot this inspired poisoned dart at her Nicola walked off, not at all dissatisfied with the expression on Marnie’s face.

Christopher was furious when he heard that Nicola had turned up, knowing she would have had trouble in mind, but Marnie did not tell him what she had said.

Louisa rang Marnie to confirm their plan to meet. She sounded in bubbly form and said the two weeks at Glendrochatt had recharged her batteries and given her lots of ideas about her life, though not writing ones, and not the ones she’d thought she was looking for. She was going to keep her flat and get another job in London after all. They made a date for a fortnight’s time. Marnie suggested a restaurant, but Louisa insisted that she’d like to produce supper for them at home.

‘I thought I’d ask Adam too,’ she said, ‘so that we can be a foursome. I know he likes Christopher.’

‘Great,’ said Marnie, secretly relieved that there would be someone else there too, and curious to meet Adam. ‘Christopher took some fantastic pictures of Eilean Dobhran. I’m longing to show them to you.’

As it turned out Marnie was unable to keep the engagement because she was in America. Her father rang – in typical whirlwind fashion, she told Christopher – three days before Louisa’s supper party, to say he’d booked her on a flight to New York and they could fly together to Toronto the following day in his private plane. He had a lot to tell her.

She rang Louisa to try to alter the date for dinner. ‘Oh, it’s very sad you won’t be there, but couldn’t Christopher still come?’ asked Louisa. ‘You and I can have girls’ lunch together when you get back. I’ll need to know all the stop-press news about Eilean Dobhran. Will you trust me with Christopher while you’re away?’ she’d added teasingly.

‘Of course I trust you,’ Marnie answered untruthfully.