Anna sighed. ‘What happens next is probably a nap, to be honest. Doesn’t take much to wear me out, these days. This is far too much excitement for one day.’

Her nap was not to be, however, because no sooner had Anna said goodbye to Cathy and hung up than there was a loud knock at the door. It was Rhona, flush-cheeked and out of breath, as if she’d run all the way from Gamrie.

‘You,’ Rhona cried, flinging an arm around Anna as soon as she opened the door, ‘are the stuff dreams are made of, hen!’

Anna laughed and hugged her friend back. ‘Why, what’s happened?’

Rhona pulled back, a broad grin on her face. ‘Brigitte bloody March, that’s what’s happened!’

Anna had forgotten her phone call amid the tumult of the review and Liam’s visit. ‘Ah! Did she call you?’

‘She did indeed,’ said Rhona, as Anna ushered her in and shut the door behind them. ‘I said you and your restaurant were going to save me, didn’t I? I said! Here, get this open, quick!’ She held up a bottle. ‘It’s prosecco, not champers, but all in good time, eh?’

Anna took the bottle with a grin and went to get glasses. ‘Well then, tell me what she said. It must have been good!’

‘Good doesn’t even cover it, my lass. She said she’d seen the review and the pictures – congratulations, by the way – and that she’s been searching for the right flatware for her new place, and she thinks my work will be perfect. Wants me to kit out the whole bloody shebang!’

Anna returned with two full glasses of bubbles and held one out to Rhona. They chinked rims and sipped.

‘Congratulations,’ Anna said, genuinely delighted for her friend. ‘I’m so happy for you, Rhona.’

‘Aye well, I’ve no one but you to thank for it,’ Rhona said, drinking deeply. ‘You and that wee bench out there. You’re a wonder.’

Anna was tempted to have more of her drink to celebrate with her friend, but decided not to risk it. On her first visit to the doctor, a slightly patrician man who reminded Anna of her first headmaster, he’d pointed out rather bluntly that she wasn’t as young as most of the women who came to him with their first pregnancy. She hoped that Rhona was too excited to notice that Anna wasn’t drinking, but she should have known better.

‘Eh, you can’t still be on the pills, can you?’ Rhona asked. ‘Besides, there’s hardly anything in this stuff. It’s Sunday, you can sleep it off! Drink up, we’re celebrating!’

Anna smiled. ‘I’d best not.’

There was a moment where Anna could almost see the cogs turning in her friend’s head. Then Rhona’s eyes suddenly widened. ‘Oh my God.’

‘What?’

Her friend leaned forward. ‘Are you… pregnant?’