Lizzie brushed the pseudo-apology aside. “It’s been a stressful time,” she said. She took a deliberate step back and watched as he unfolded his arms and softened his stance. “We’ll all benefit from a break from each other,” she added pleasantly. “And thank you for your concern, but I’m sure I’ll cope fine, wherever I go. I hate all this metropolitan shit about everywhere but London being stuck in the dark ages.”

“But everywhere outside London is so boring,” Kat wailed. “I’ll hate it! Can’t we go abroad? Or—” she spun round, gesturing to Bill, trying to draw him in to support her “—let Bill find you a house in the country with staff, so you can concentrate on the music. Somewhere other celebs hang out, like the Cotswolds, where we won’t feel too isolated and there’ll still be plenty of stuff to put on social media.”

Lizzie felt a flash of irritation at Kat’s assumption she would come too. How had she failed to notice before how tightly the tentacles of Kat and Bill’s control had wrapped about her life? Yet she knew she had been happy enough to go along with their ideas when it suited her and to let Kat organise everything. She had been very self-absorbed.

“I don’t want to hang out with celebrities,” she said firmly. “I want a change. You don’t need to come with me, Kat,” she added. “It’s about time you took a break too, isn’t it? You’ve been working so hard. We’re all exhausted, as this morning proves.”

There was a silence. Kat was looking hurt; she hadn’t been taken in by Lizzie’s attempt to parcel her dismissal as concern. Bill was uncharacteristically quiet too, simmering, Lizzie thought, but for once keeping his temper.

“Well,” he said, after a strained moment, “if that’s what you want. Keep in touch, wherever you go, and good luck with the songwriting. Let me know if the police call and you need the lawyers again.”

Lizzie ignored the heavy sarcasm and gave him a polite smile. “Thanks, Bill.”

“Call me, sweetie.” Kat had evidently decided to forgive her too. Neither she nor Bill moved. It was as though they were daring her to walk out on them, Lizzie thought, as though they were certain she couldn’t do it. For one long, terrified moment she wasn’t sure she could. She’d relied on them for so long. The silence stretched and then she heard the sound of voices and the clatter of a door in the office outside and it broke the spell. She walked over to the door and went out, closing it softly behind her.

There was a taxi waiting outside; there was always a taxi waiting at Bill’s offices. The driver recognised her and greeted her with a smile which warmed Lizzie’s bruised heart a little.

“You all right, Miss Kingdom?” he asked, looking at her in the mirror as he pulled out into the traffic. “You look a bit pale.”

“I’m good thanks, Gary,” Lizzie lied. “How are you? Did you and your wife enjoy the long weekend in France?”