It was years since they’d met. But there had been nothing they could say as they had greeted each other earlier, just for a moment caught in their past.

A plump actor stopped to say goodbye loudly, bent down to kiss Frances.

‘Who’s that?’ said Anthony, when he’d finally gone.

‘Billy Butler,’ said Frances. ‘He was in the term ahead of us. He played that animated daffodil for years in those cereal ads; he was telling me earlier he made enough from those adverts to buy a castle in Scotland!’ and she began to laugh again. ‘Where’s Pauline?’ she said to Anthony, wiping her eyes. ‘She’d have enjoyed all this, she was the only person who could laugh as much as me.’

‘Busy,’ said Anthony. ‘Not that she laughs much these days to my knowledge.’

‘That’s because she’s married to you,’ said Harry mildly. ‘Has she been working?’

‘What, as an actress? No, not much. She’s got her antique shop; that keeps her busy.’

‘Hmmmm,’ said Emmy Lou and she and Frances exchanged glances. Once, long ago, it was Pauline who had been successful, not Anthony.

‘Well you can all see her to your hearts’ content next weekend,’ said Anthony. ‘It’s the first garden party we’ve had for years and years. I hope you all got your invitations?’

The others all nodded and Izzy added, ‘And I shall cycle.’

‘You’re quite mad Izzy,’ said Anthony, and he lit another cigarette. ‘Viola begged us to have another one because she and all her friends are about to leave drama school and she thinks they all ought to get a chance to network, as she calls it, with the help of food and sunshine and wine. She instructed us to ask every casting director in London.’

‘God,’ said Emmy Lou, ‘how can you and Pauline encourage your daughter to enter this profession? It’s all about status and stars and exposure now, not talent and training – Princess Diana as Hamlet, mark my words.’

‘I know, I know,’ said Anthony, ‘I know. But she wants to do it so much, how could we stop her? I can help her anyway: she’ll have status – being my daughter will give her status. We all know perfectly well that casting directors look at children of famous actors before they look at other young hopefuls; they’re as star-struck as anyone else although they deny it so vehemently,’ and he loudly and slanderously recited a litany of youngsters with famous names and what he thought of them, including the young man playing Hamlet. ‘And Viola’s good. She’s really good. I can help her. I know people.’