Monty told Rowan he’d seen me – ‘Yeah, just said you were with one of the girls’ – and I felt a jumble of relief and disappointment that he hadn’t told Rowan everything. It maybe wouldn’t have hurt him to know he wasn’t the only one having sleepovers with new friends. ‘He always says he can’t tell the difference between them though,’ he added, and laughed along. I was facing away from him while he talked, ferreting through drawers to find a pair of skinny jeans that didn’t stink of cigarette smoke (Lily) or regret (Fred, who I’d seen another three times in the last week, and slept with another twice). In the end I turned around, threw my arms in the air and announced, ‘I’ll just wear a dress.’

Rowan moved towards the small chest at the bottom of the bed. ‘Black tights or natural?’

I smiled. See, he knows everything … ‘Black.’ But then a memory hit. ‘Actually, none.’

‘You’ll go with trousers?’

‘Nope. Bare.’ The dress dropped down over my thighs and into place, quickly enough for me to catch an expression of surprise. ‘What?’

‘You never do that.’

‘Well …’ I smoothed the fabric out on a pale blue number that would look good with the late afternoon tea we were having. ‘Maybe I can still surprise you.’

He crossed the room and caught me by the elbow, then pulled me closer for a kiss. ‘Maybe I’m not all that keen on surprises.’

Well, I thought, maybe that’s just tough luck …

*

The tea rooms were prim and proper and everything I’d expected from Rowan’s parents. They were sitting uncharacteristically close when we arrived, like a real-life couple. But they shot apart when they saw us – as though they’d been caught doing something unseemly – and one after the other they pulled Rowan into a hug to greet him.

Gregory turned his attention to me soon after – ‘Edith, fantastic dress’ – before dropping back into his seat.

Penny hugged me but somehow managed to make the gesture a distanced one – ‘Edith, so lovely you’re here this time’ – which I took to be a jibe about my absence during Rowan’s trip home, like I should follow wherever he led.

I flashed her a tight smile and sat down. I crossed my legs then and, noting Penny’s glance, I suddenly felt desperately self-conscious at having them on show at all. I pushed out a deep breath through my nose and thought of Fred – ‘These legs, Edi, I’m telling you’ – and her friendship (is that what we’re calling it?), her compassion towards my least favourite parts. I ran a hand down my own thigh as though brushing something away, then I reached across to Rowan’s clasped hands and grabbed a hold of one.

‘Penny, you’re looking so well. New hairstyle?’