‘Perhaps it’s for the best. Everything happens for a reason and all that.’ Sadie is brisk, brushing it aside in much the same way Rupert did, although this time there is an underlying edge to her voice as if I have said something wrong.

‘Maybe.’ I eye her closely, as she looks down the table to where Rupert, Miles and Will are all talking animatedly. ‘Sadie, did I do something wrong? You seem a little… I don’t know. Is it something about Angus and the trust?’

‘Look, if you must know…’ Sadie folds her napkin into tiny squares, her immaculate nail polish catching the light. ‘The Children’s Trust… it’s where Caro used to work. You caught me by surprise, mentioning the name of it, mentioning Angus.’

‘Oh my God.’ I sit back, my hand covering my mouth. The pisco sour is a heavy, sticky mass in my stomach. ‘The vacancy in the fundraising department isn’t Caro’s job, is it? I had no idea.’

‘Well, why would you? I mean, it’s not like we talk about it, is it? And Angus probably had no idea who you are. Don’t take it to heart, him saying you weren’t right for the job. He always was a fussy old bugger, according to Caro.’ Sadie rests her hand on mine, patting it as if to comfort me.

‘No, of course. I feel like a fool… Rupert never mentioned it when I told him I’d been speaking with Angus.’ A bloom of hurt bursts in my chest and I have to swallow hard. No wonder Rupert has been donating so much money for all this time. It was all for Caro. I feel sick as I picture his face when I mentioned Angus’s name.

‘He probably didn’t want to upset you. Like I said, Em, don’t take it to heart.’

‘Here you are, ladies—’ Amanda appears beside us, a waiter stood next to her with a tray full of more pisco sours. ‘Emily, nice to see you.’ She gives me a kiss on the cheek, the overwhelming scent of her perfume tickling the back of my throat. She slides into the seat next to me and starts talking about her latest design project. When I look up the table at Rupert, he is engaged in conversation with Miles, so I reach for another cocktail, trying to push Sadie’s comments from my mind, feeling like the biggest kind of idiot.