He slowly shook his head. She didn’t know whether it was in denial of her words, or discomfort at what he’d put her through. But he said nothing, so she went on, trying to stop her tone escalating with the hurt she couldn’t help still feeling. ‘Then one day I come home and everything’s changed, literally overnight. You’re all loved up. Your backache has mysteriously vanished and you want me again. You organize a surprise party behind my back – something you’ve never, ever done before. Which is lovely, but it’s not fair to expect me to fall instantly into line as if the last two years never happened …’ She trailed off.

‘For God’s sake, Connie,’ Devan spoke quietly, but she could hear the weary frustration in his voice, ‘I was trying to be nice … You’re making me out to be some sort of monster.’

‘I’m not. I’m just trying to tell you how I’ve been feeling.’ Resentment almost made her add, ‘This isn’t all about you, Devan.’ But she held her tongue, hating how peevish she was sounding.

Devan took a mouthful of wine and set his glass carefully on the table, as if he were trying very hard to control himself. ‘OK. Well, obviously I’m really sorry it’s been so difficult for you,’ he said, the words sounding sincere, but the edge to his voice telling her something different. ‘But I think we have to share the responsibility, don’t you?’

Connie frowned at him. ‘For what?’

Her husband sighed. ‘Honestly, Connie, you’re so bloody stubborn. I don’t know what to say that I haven’t said a million times before.’ He stopped, looking quizzically at her, as if it were her turn to speak, to tell him she really did understand … and was ready to comply. When he saw she wasn’t going to respond, he went on, in a voice full of patience, ‘Surely you agree that we should have made a plan for our future. I couldn’t settle to my life without knowing how things were going to pan out over the next few years. You talk about fairness, but what I was asking wasn’t so unreasonable, was it?’