The question came from a group of five young women, although Chloe would have been hard-pressed to identify which one had said it. They all looked at him expectantly, with varying degrees of “gobsmackedness”.

“Uh, yes, hello.” Archer nodded and smiled politely. Chloe watched, mesmerised, as he posed for photos, signed random pieces of paper, fielded inane questions, and let them fawn over him. He was so amenable that the entire encounter was wrapped up in a handful of minutes. It was another taste of what life was like with someone as famous as Archer. Although, this was far more pleasant than being ambushed by his ex or being photographed kissing.

“You are very gracious,” she said when they were on their way again and out of earshot of the giggling gaggle.

“It’s part of the job—be kind, say hello, take some pictures. I’d rather be like that than the brooding, surly film star.”

“Sure, but I thought you didn’t want to be recognised today.” Before leaving the hotel, they had donned what Archer called “light disguises”. They both wore baseball caps, the peaks pulled low, and Archer wore a pair of thick-rimmed prop glasses.

“True, but …” He sighed, his shoulders raising in a shrug.

Chloe finished the thought. “A disguise only goes so far.”

“Exactly. It will work on most people and, honestly, in London, you can hardly swing a dead cat without seeing someone famous, so a lot of people are blasé if they notice me. But, unless I want to spend hours in the makeup chair before I pop down to Tesco for milk, it’s just part and parcel really.”

“Mmm, I get it.” Intellectually, she did, in any case. It was still a lot to comprehend, his level of fame and how it affected his everyday life, how it might affect her everyday life. But there was something else. “You know, all that aside …” He glanced at her inquisitively. “I’ve worked with quite a few celebrities, and the way you were with those girls … well, you’re more gracious than most.”

“Honestly—and I truly believe this—if it weren’t for the people who buy tickets to my films or my plays, I wouldn’t be ‘Archer Tate’. I wouldn’t have this incredible career, so when I meet them, they deserve my kindness.”

“You enjoy that aspect of your fame, then?” she asked, somewhat perplexed.

“Being mobbed in public?” She looked up to see that he was joking.

“Well, when you put it like that …”

“I enjoy meeting people who like my work. Some fans, probably that group of girls, can be a little fixated on who they think Archer Tate is, as opposed to liking me, or my performances, but, as I said, it’s part and parcel, isn’t it?”

“I honestly wouldn’t know.”

He gave a grunt of a laugh. “Quite right, but what I mean is, I consider it a privilege to do what I love for a living, so the aspects of my job that I don’t particularly enjoy—the intrusions on my privacy, especially—they are the price to pay. Sometimes, I wish I could do what Harry and Meghan did; although, their spotlight is far brighter than mine. I mean, I’ve only been noticed what, a handful of times since we got here? They couldn’t even come here.”