The doorbell rang and Camilla went to get it.

I turned to Kate. ‘How about Neil, does he do his bit?’ I needed to somehow get the subject onto George Pig.

‘With tearaway twins and a seven-year-old, he has to. But I get that it’s tough. Work is busy at the moment and seems to be taking its toll.’

‘Poor him. How?’

‘He’s made me cancel the weekend in Cornwall we had planned next week. Said he can’t leave London.’

Camilla re-entered the kitchen with Naomi and, after the obligatory air-kisses and laying out of teacups, we all sat down.

‘And how about you, Naomi, how are things with you?’ I looked at her red-rimmed eyes. ‘Are you OK?’

Naomi burst into tears.

‘Sorry . . . I . . . You think you’re fine and then, well . . .’ Naomi wrung her hands and looked up at us. ‘My husband’s having an affair.’

There was silence as we all took this in.

So she knew.

Naomi let out another sob.

‘Naomi, I’m so sorry. What a shit. What a total shit,’ Kate said as she flung an arm round Naomi. Camilla got up from the table and went to get a box of tissues.

‘That utter bastard.’ Dionne said it loudly enough the children in the garden outside turned around. ‘How do you know for sure?’

‘I’ve found enough proof. He isn’t being very discreet.’ Camilla handed her a tissue and she dabbed her eyes with it and blew her nose.

‘Have you confronted him?’ I asked.

‘No. I’m scared. I’m worried about losing the house. I’m worried about losing Bertie.’

‘You don’t need to worry, Naomi, the mother always gets custody,’ Kate told her.

‘Oh.’ Naomi looked up. ‘I’m not worried about the kids. I know I’ll get them . . . Bertie is our dog. Ronald loves that dog. But I really love that dog. What if they give him Bertie as a kind of consolation prize? He’s the one that keeps me company all day when the kids are at school. I can’t imagine sitting down in a chair without him curling up on my lap. I can live without my husband. But . . . but not my dog.’ She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. ‘Twenty years of marriage. The bastard not only had an affair but didn’t even have the respect to try and hide it better. He works for MI6, for God’s sake.’

‘Have things been bad between you for a while?’ asked Kate.