‘Christ, I hope it is.’ Nipper gave a harsh laugh, and it was an ugly sound, gloating, unkind. ‘Grow up, for Christ’s sake. Look, Milly’s glad someone’s shagging her, and I’m getting some relief whenever I’m stuck down here – which, thank Christ, isn’t too often any more – without any complications.’

Milly listened and felt like she was going to throw up. His voice was horrible. Cold. Dismissive. They’d been going out for quite a while now and this was what he truly thought about her. They’d last slept together only days ago. She felt tears of humiliation start in her eyes and run down her cheeks.

‘Milly?’

It was Jill, coming up the path toward her.

Milly started guiltily, shoved herself away from the wall, swiped wetness from her eyes. She didn’t answer. Then Belle appeared from the back garden; she’d been riding this morning and she was wearing jodhpurs. Nipper appeared too.

Oh Christ!

Milly shoved her way past Jill and lumbered off down the path, flinging open the gate. Behind her she could hear them all talking, Jill’s voice mingling with Belle’s and Nipper’s. She had to get away, back to the main house, she couldn’t face any of them right now, she couldn’t bear them to know she’d heard that.

‘Milly!’

Someone was tugging at her arm, halting her. It was Belle, her face a picture of concern.

‘Milly, stop! We . . . what are you—’

Milly felt swamped with rage then. Perfect, pretty Belle. No one would ever shag her as an act of charity, would they?

‘You knew,’ she gasped out.

‘What—’ Belle looked pale all of a sudden.

‘You knew he was making use of me. I heard you, the pair of you, having a laugh at my expense. You knew what he was doing, and you let it carry on, you didn’t tell me, Christ I hate you.’ Milly wrenched her arm from Belle’s grasp and ran on, up the drive. A long black car swept past, going up to the house, but she barely even noticed.

‘Milly, I didn’t . . .’ Belle was saying, but Milly didn’t stop.

Nipper would have to look elsewhere for his charity shags in future, because she didn’t want to know. Not any more. Anyway, didn’t she have other avenues open to her? That new guy of her dad’s, Sammy, liked her. And creepy old Javier Matias had been sending her flowers, asking her to dine alone with him.