While men with loads of money would never dream of ramming it down your throat, most women with lots of children are always saying things like, ‘We’re taking the four children to Klosters!’ to me; or ‘He’s easily the brightest of my five – his IQ is off the charts!’ as if I don’t know how many children they have, and need reminding; or they piously explain to women who work because they have to, or because they would go mad if they didn’t, ‘With four children and two dogs and three houses to look after, there just isn’t much time for work,’ as if not having a job was the noble price they pay for their high-maintenance show-life, and that mothers with the privilege of having to earn a living – the only privilege these poor, unfortunate women lack – should feel sorry for them.

I can’t count the number of times a mother of four has told me that she has ‘four children in four different schools’ and left me in no doubt that she has attended four carol services in one week in December and four sports days in late June, as if there should be some special medal struck in her honour. I don’t think I’ve ever once said, ‘I’m taking the three children to the dentist or Butlins,’ for example. Or, ‘I’m taking all three children to Tesco.’ I’d sound even dafter than I do already.

As Ralph points out, ‘Mimi, darling, no man ever gives a moment’s thought to how many children a woman has. We can barely remember whether she’s married, her husband’s name and what either of them are FOR, let alone the number of babies they have somehow managed to produce, against what look like the heaviest of genetic odds. I just can’t think why it matters so much to you women.’

But Cath doesn’t ram the four-children thing down one’s throat at all. No, what she does is even worse. She does everything effortlessly and really seems to enjoy running a business, her four children, umpteen homes and A-list social life. When I first went round, I sneakily checked out the Court Place visitor’s book – talk about livre d’or: David Cameron and Samantha, Otis and Bryan, Charles and Camilla – all within about two pages!

I know it’s uncool to be impressed, but I was.