In the bathroom, he splashed cold water onto his face, closing his eyes against the memory of Anna’s anger. First meetings were always impossible, but still, he could have handled it better. The first time he met Clem had been just as disastrous. Her father’s friend was holding a benefit. His wife had suffered a stroke and he had wanted to raise both money and awareness for brain research. Oliver’s boss, Mateo, had been scheduled to give a speech but at the last minute he had come down with a sore throat and asked Oliver to step in. Oliver had stood on the stage under the bright, white lights, sweat sticking the shirt to his back, his voice a stammer. He had been completely out of his comfort zone and that was before he had even spotted the woman in the front row, sparkling in a sea-green dress, thick dark hair cascading over her shoulders.

‘And mermaid’ had slipped out of his mouth before he corrected himself to ‘And moreover’ and the rest of his carefully prepared presentation fell out of his mouth in a gibbering rush. Afterwards she had approached him.

‘That was quite a speech.’

He had waited for a punchline that didn’t come.

‘It must be so rewarding to know you’re making a difference. The world needs more people like you.’ There was a wistful look in her eyes. ‘Do you think you’ll ever find a cure for Parkinson’s? My grandfather had it. Such a cruel disease.’

‘Yes.’ Oliver had wanted to take her hand. To tell her his uncle had Parkinson’s too and he understood, but he wasn’t a tactile person and so he had tried to use words to reassure her instead, explaining he was confident that a cure would be found in their lifetime. He wanted to tell her about the exciting progress that had been made in understanding the cause of the disease. ‘Can I buy you a drink…’ He had trailed off as she lifted a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter. ‘Sorry, I’m an idiot.’

‘I don’t think so.’ Her blue eyes had settled on his. ‘Tell me why you think a cure will be found.’

He had begun to talk. Terminology tripping off his tongue but she had nodded along, asking him to clarify the things she didn’t understand and instantly he fell in love. He had been astonished that she felt the same.

Clem had been an heiress. There had been much gossip when they shared their fledging relationship. Oliver was branded a gold-digger. He knew what her friends and family had thought about him. The way their whispers dried up as he approached – Oliver, old boy, super to see you – their booming, cheerful voices doing nothing to detract from the suspicion in their eyes.