‘Listen, and I’ll tell you. Ricky got me a ticket for the show – which was amazing, by the way, if you’re interested. And he got me into the after-party, which we didn’t stay at for very long because by that time I thought he really deserved a bit of the old Will’s Wonder.’

‘Please.’

‘Yes, that’s what he said. But more important than all that, he got me into the studio where they were shooting the video for her new single.’

‘You mean you actually . . .’

‘Hung out with her, yes. Gave her a few fashion tips, you know the sort of thing.’

Isabelle was speechless.

‘You see, the new song is . . . well, how best to describe it?’ He made arcs in the air with his hands. ‘An urban ballad, I suppose you might say. It’s elegant, but with an edge. Modern, but classic at the same time. In fact,’ he said, as if the thought had only just occurred to him, ‘a bit like a Cissé evening dress.’

‘Ah.’

‘Ah indeed. And you see, poor Mercy just didn’t like the clothes that the stylist had brought along. A right load of old tat with designer labels in. Didn’t look good on her. Made her look – I don’t know. A bit muttony, really.’

‘Poor Mercy.’

‘So we got talking, somehow or other, and I sympathised with her wardrobe crisis, and made a few suggestions.’

‘Such as?’

‘Well as luck would have it, I happened to have a couple of your little numbers about my person – and what do you know, they were in her size.’

‘What a surprise!’

‘I know! Isn’t it? There was a rather lovely plum coloured thing that you had in Vogue, and that silver dress with the gathering at the chest and the pleated shoulders.’

‘Oh, that.’

‘Well, for want of anything better to do, she nipped behind a screen and tried them on, and what do you know?’

‘They were the best dresses she’d ever worn.’

‘Funny! That’s exactly what she said.’

‘And she wore them in the video.’

‘Yes, my dear. Both of them.’

‘And she’s going to . . .’

‘Hush, Princess.’ Will reached over and touched his fingertips to her lips. ‘Let me ask you something first. Did it ever occur to you why you weren’t getting anywhere with Tilly Ostergard and Mercy Williams?’

‘I don’t know. Because I’m not very good at all that side of things.’

‘True, true,’ said Will, with a smirk. ‘But more than that.’

‘Because I need you to work with me, and I’ve treated you despicably.’

‘There is that, yes. But something else. Come on. Guess again.’

‘I don’t know. Because I’m not as famous as the others. Because I’m British. Because I’m black.’