Celeste smiled as she spoke, and Cynthia felt the rage at her sister being the beneficiary of all this money and kudos. As the wife of a man of means she would always be afforded a great deal of respect, and it was that respect Cynthia wanted more than anything else. It was that respect that would have afforded her the life she felt she deserved, the life she should have demanded. But all she’d been given was boredom, a firm belief in the power of a good insurance policy and hope for an early death for the fucker she’d lumbered herself with. If it was left to her, James would have a massive heart attack and she could start all over again. Properly this time, and with the hindsight she wished she’d had at the outset.

‘Well, Celeste, people always want what’s new and different, although it soon wears thin. Still, in fairness, he’s done a good job.’

The naked envy was evident and Celeste felt a deep sadness for this sister of hers who, if she would only relax and stop wanting the impossible, could enjoy her life like everyone else. Celeste smiled once more and suddenly hugged her sister to her. She said happily, ‘Thanks, Cynth. If you like it then it must be good!’

Cynthia preened at the praise and, feeling magnanimous, said kindly, ‘You’re getting there, Celeste, so don’t let it bother you too much.’

‘I won’t. Thanks for coming, mate, it means a lot.’

Cynthia was thrilled at how her sister saw her as the yardstick for her husband’s new enterprises. It was another balm to her tortured soul. She felt she should be the one enjoying all this, not her younger sister. If only she had seen the truth of the situation years ago, she wouldn’t have let him go, whatever the circumstances.

It never occurred to Cynthia that her sister was actually in the know where all that was concerned. Celeste was clever enough to keep that information close to her ample chest. Jonny had never said a word – he wouldn’t, he was too nice a person – but she listened to gossip. It had bothered her that her sister had been there before her, but now she knew, deep inside, that Jonny loved her, really loved her, and she was woman enough to accept the truth of that. She only worried that her sister would find out that she actually knew the score, and thereby feel the humiliation of realising that Celeste knew and didn’t care. With people like Cynthia you told them what they wanted to hear, because it was so much easier that way. If they ever saw themselves as everyone else did, it would be too much for them to take onboard. They lived in their own little worlds, it was what made them into the people they were.