‘And how was she? Bella, I mean, when you spoke to her on the phone?’

Again, Matt glanced at Freya and gave a resigned sigh. ‘Frosty, I suppose, is the best way to describe it. Very offhand. Made it clear she didn’t want me calling.’

‘I hate her,’ Freya said suddenly.

‘Freya!’ Matt shot her an appalled look. ‘That’s a bit strong. We don’t even really know her.’

Freya shrugged apologetically. ‘I know, I know …’ She turned towards Charlotte. ‘But it feels a bit like a bereavement, except that he’s still alive and well and living just a mile or so away.’ She bit her lip and glanced at Matt. ‘And he wouldn’t say so but I know how hurt Matt is. Ben is his oldest, closest friend and yet he doesn’t even hear from him anymore.’

Matt’s eyes clouded slightly and he picked up his bottle of beer. ‘That’s not strictly true. He calls sometimes when she’s out.’

Charlotte tutted, infuriated and unnerved by what she was hearing. ‘But why would she not want him to speak to you guys?’

Matt and Freya both shook their heads. ‘No idea. Control, maybe?’ Freya said at last. ‘She does seem very possessive and domineering.’

Charlotte nodded, feeling guilty. This was all her fault. If she hadn’t broken up with Ben, he would never have met Bella and maybe it would be the two of them celebrating the birth of their first child. There was no way she’d have allowed Ben to shut out his oldest friends. They would have been with them every step of the way. ‘What would happen if you ignored the way she’s been behaving and just acted the way you always did? Why don’t you just go round with some flowers and a present for the baby? You used to pop by all the time, so it wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary.’

Matt recoiled in horror. ‘It would now! Honestly, Charlie, you have no idea how different things are to when you two were together. She’s so cold towards us. She would make it clear we weren’t welcome.’

‘So what?’ Charlotte looked from Matt to Freya defiantly. ‘You aren’t there to see her, you’re there to see your friend and his new baby daughter. If she doesn’t want to see you, she can always go out.’ She could feel the anger bubbling up inside her and knew it was borne out of guilt. But on the other hand, they couldn’t just accept that a lifelong friendship was over because Bella wanted him all to herself. ‘And I’m sure she’s not that bad?’

‘She is!’ Freya shot back. ‘Matt’s not exaggerating when he says she’s really off with us. She just has this way of making you feel so unwelcome, even when we’re not at their flat.’

Charlotte tried not to feel hurt at the description of the flat as ‘theirs’. Yes, Ben’s parents had bought it for him but it was she who had helped him choose it and furnish it, back in the days when she and Ben were so happy and excited about the future. But it was also she who had walked away from it, leaving Ben battered and broken, and vulnerable to the attentions of someone like Bella. ‘Well,’ she said at last. ‘I think you should just turn up and act like nothing’s wrong. Buy something lovely for the baby and behave as you normally would. You owe it to Ben …’