‘You are happy, aren’t you? Leaving Caro out of it for a moment – the two of you are OK?’ Frowning, Sadie lays a hand on mine, her fake-tanned skin a warm orange against the pale white of my fingers, my honeymoon tan long gone.

‘Yes,’ I stare down at our hands, feeling a little disloyal to Rupert, ‘but like I said earlier at lunch… things are a little harder than I thought they would be. Rupert isn’t quite like I thought.’

‘Oh?’ Sadie raises an eyebrow and I feel a flutter of panic, remembering that Sadie has been Rupert’s friend for a lot longer than she’s been mine.

‘I don’t mean that in a horrid way!’ I backtrack. ‘I just mean things like… well, he ordered my meal for me the last time we went out, and he ordered veal. I hate veal, and I tried to tell him, but he just ignored me and ordered it anyway. And he always asks me every morning what I’m doing that day. It’s not a problem, but it just feels a little controlling.’ I fiddle with my glass, feeling heat creep into my cheeks. ‘He has more of a temper than I realized.’

Sadie reaches for the wine bottle and tops her glass up. ‘Do you know what I think?’ she says in the end. ‘I think perhaps you’re a little sensitive to things like that after what happened with Harry. Rupert isn’t trying to control you; he’s trying to look after you.’

‘He’s the reason why Angus Beaton didn’t want me volunteering at the charity,’ I blurt out, a twist of hurt digging in my chest.

‘Rupert is?’ Sadie frowns.

‘He basically told Angus he didn’t want me there because of Caro. I wished I’d known before that Caro had worked there.’

Sadie blushes, a pink bloom bursting over her cheeks. ‘If I’d known you were going to apply there, then of course I would have told you. Like I said, Emily, I don’t think he’s trying to control you, he just wants what is best for you. For both of you.’

‘I’m sure you’re probably right,’ I say with a sigh, ‘I’m just being an ungrateful brat, aren’t I? God, I bet Caro was never like this.’

Sadie doesn’t reply, instead checking her watch and pushing her chair back. ‘I’ll just nip to the loo before I get off. And yes,’ Sadie grins, ‘you’re being an ungrateful brat.’