And she’s got the nerve to stand up there and lecture us!

Sally had hurried over to the man and had a hand on his arm, leaning close to him. The spell was broken, noisy chatter bursting out like gunfire amidst the hall. Every survival instinct in Bunny’s body was telling her to run, to get away, forget the rest of her talk and escape in her car, as fast as she could, back up the motorway. ‘Did you really stab him?’ a woman called out from the crowd, with a mix of horror and fascination, and Bunny felt her face turn scarlet, hot and humiliated – the feeling of being unmasked, a disguise ripped off her, leaving her stranded there vulnerable and afraid.

‘I’m sorry about this, everyone,’ Sally said, wringing her hands as a large bloke hauled the man out of the room.

‘I was only asking a question,’ he protested, twisting in his captor’s grip and glaring back at Bunny. ‘Get off! This is assault, this is. Get your hands off me!’

Bunny’s heart was pounding. She was trembling all over. Fight or flight, fight or flight, her body said, adrenalin going berserk through her veins. And then a cool, determined voice in her head said, Fight. Fight on. Keep talking. You were just getting to the good bit of the story. Big smile and keep going. Don’t let that bastard beat you.

So she gave it her best shot. Even though she felt very much like crying, even though she was shaken and unnerved, and sweat was drenching the back of her top, she stood there and rolled her eyes comically and said, ‘Do you know, I must have got one of those faces; it’s a nightmare. Because everyone thinks they know me! This happens wherever I go – someone thinks I am their niece’s friend, or that I used to work in their local pub, or that I was at school with them. Mind you, the response I’ve just had tonight was a bit more dramatic, granted.’ She even managed a tinkling laugh and the audience, God love them, laughed along with her, their faith in her seemingly restored a little bit.

Keep going. Keep breathing. ‘But just in case you were wondering, let me assure you right here and now: my other half is very much alive and uninjured, and is probably sitting at home with his feet up on the coffee table, watching Sky Sport as I speak.’ She arched an eyebrow. ‘Well, that’s what he told me earlier, anyway . . .’ More laughter. Thank goodness. She’d turned the sinking ship around, no matter that she was talking about Dave rather than her ex. ‘Now, where was I? Ah yes. Those difficult early weeks.’ She pulled another funny face. ‘The weeks from hell. My goodness, I’m not going to forget them in a hurry . . .’