‘About eight weeks. Personally, I would have been happy for it to be a few more weeks but I’m not young and naive enough to think it’s as easy as that. It wasn’t what Elizabeth really wanted. I was just an escape from it all.’

‘Did she call your … friendship off?’

‘Only because she had to. Harry wasn’t keen on her coming over.’

‘What happened with Harry?’

‘The bloke’s a bloody nutcase. It’s the quiet ones you have to watch.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. Really. He went ballistic. Came down to the pub – he’d obviously been drinking. He was shouting and a bit unsteady on his feet but it didn’t stop him trying to drag me across the bar. Grabbed hold of my shirt and punched me right in the face.’ Cameron touched the bump in his nose. ‘I have a permanent reminder.’

Steph looked at him in disbelief. ‘I can’t imagine him doing that.’

‘Then you don’t really know him.’

Cameron had a point, she thought, but tried to console herself with the fact that Harry might not be the same man now that he had been back then. It was supposed to be a comforting thought, but by the same token, it was quite possible, back then, that the ‘old Harry’ was capable of being more violent. ‘Did you fight back?’

‘What do you think? I was too busy trying to defend myself, and look at me – I’m not built for fighting. I’m not a muscle-bound gym junkie. I’m all about stretching and relaxation. Or as much as I can do these days.’ He patted the top of his leg.

It was true, Cameron was slight and flexible-looking, not really a match for Harry. ‘What happened to your leg?’ asked Steph, sensing it was relevant in some way.

‘Hit-and-run,’ said Cameron. He pursed his lips before speaking again. ‘Same night as Harry Sinclair attacked me in the bar, as it happens. Funny, that. His brothers were there and they pulled him off me in the end and I thought that was that, it was all over. Harry’s ego had been restored. I had a bloodied nose, but nothing that wouldn’t heal.’

‘What happened?’ Steph’s arms pricked with goose pimples. She was sure she wasn’t going to like the next bit.

‘Locked up that night. Walked the barmaid home. Oops, sorry, I’m probably not allowed to say barmaid these days, am I? Anyway, walked my female colleague home, as I didn’t like the thought of her walking home alone in the dark and she didn’t have a fella. As I was coming round the corner of the lane, this car came from nowhere and mowed me down. Right in the middle of the street.’

‘Oh, my God. That’s awful. Did they stop?’ Steph swallowed hard. Despite the question, she was pretty sure she could guess the answer.