After Scotland, Christine had declared a moratorium on any further personal relations between herself and Massimo Rivelli. It seemed like a crazy dream, undertaken in a stupid, girlish rush of passion, heedless of what people thought, of the possible consequences. She was twenty again, flaunting herself on the arm of Andy Cissé – a black man, oh yes you noticed, go on, disapprove if you dare. But back then there was nothing to lose – and besides, she really did love Andy, truly believed that a ‘mixed marriage’ (one of the kinder phrases she heard) was neither here nor there and certainly no bar to her professional advancement, whatever some of the old fools thought. In fact, it could do her good. Marked her out as progressive, ticked a few boxes.

But screwing a client – one from whom she stood to make a good deal of money, one whom she was about to represent in a trial that was bound to attract a mass of publicity? That was a very different kettle of fish, and however good the sex had been – and boy, had it been – there was absolutely no excuse for what she had done other than a reckless urge to self-destruction. She was on the brink of taking silk, for God’s sake! If the grapevine got hold of this particular indiscretion, she’d be a laughing stock. Poor Christine Fairbrother . . . well, I always said when her marriage broke up . . . I suppose she’s menopausal . . . One final fling . . . What a shame, she could have gone far, she’s betrayed her sex, she’s put back the cause of women at the bar by twenty years . . .

Stop. Enough. That was not going to happen. Focus on the job: Janet’s multi-million pound claim was outrageous, a joke, a desperate false step by Pennington and Blythe that she, Christine, the most feared divorce lawyer of her generation, would dismantle with forensic precision. She would point to Janet’s long-term tolerance of Rivelli’s affairs, her willingness to spend his money, her sudden eager grasping after money that simply was not there. And if Janet cut up rough, there was the sworn schedule of assets in black and white, Exhibit A. Yes, she would say, Rivelli is a philanderer, a bad husband, certainly – who knew that better than Christine? A bad father, even. Admit all that. But he had made provision for his son’s welfare in what the court would agree was a very generous settlement. Janet was angry, Janet wanted more – and where, Christine would ask with a mock smile, pointing at the schedule of assets, was that ‘more’ going to come from?

And there it would end, Janet’s greedy hands grabbing at nothing, Rivelli well able to afford the maintenance, and Christine one big step closer to silk.

And they would have got away with it.