No. She was getting paranoid. Jumping to wild, unfounded conclusions. All the same, she could feel John pulling away from the relationship, slipping out in his own direction alone, with no backward glance, no thought of inviting her along. Just like he’d slipped out tonight with a cover story that had proved to be full of holes almost immediately.

She shivered, gazing out into the garden where the shadows were thickening below the hedges, where the swing swayed childlessly in a ghostly breeze. She had married into the Mortimers, glad to see the back of those years as an only child, happy to be caught up as part of this large, friendly family. Except . . . as it transpired, you could still feel lonely amidst a crowd. You could still end up very much on your own, stranded on the sidelines, if it turned out the others wanted to put you there.

‘Rob?’ There was Stephen again, popping his head round the door, as she stood by the sink, silent as a doll. ‘I’m off. Dad’s staying in after all, so I’d better get back to the lads. What’s the betting it’ll be my round?’ He was smiling as if nothing was wrong, but she could see embarrassment and awkwardness in his smile. Apology even, because it was obvious then that John was meeting someone else, rather than waiting at a pub table for his brother’s return.

‘Sure,’ she said, without smiling back. She felt as if her heart was splintering. Stephen had always been a great brother-in-law, full of funny gossipy stories, affectionate and teasing at all times, and a brilliant uncle to her children. But now he looked stiff and uncomfortable, as if he couldn’t wait to leave. Don’t get me involved, his body language was saying. Robyn swallowed, part of her wanting to interrogate him like one of his own cross-examinations. What did he know? What was going on? ‘Okay. Have a good evening, then,’ she said unhappily, in the end. ‘Give my love to Ed.’

He came over and gave her an impulsive hug, and she breathed in his gorgeous cologne. ‘I will, darling, thanks,’ he said. ‘Take care, yeah?’

And then he was gone, and she was closing the front door again, her mind crawling with awful thoughts. Take care, he’d said, like he was worried about her. Like she should be worried for herself. She cringed at the thought of Stephen going back to Eddie and announcing this new drama. I was mortified! she imagined him exclaiming. What was I supposed to say? And what the hell is John up to, anyway?