He stops abruptly, a frown etched deep into his forehead before he smiles a puzzled smile. ‘Em? What are you doing here?’ He leans down to kiss me, his breath scented with coffee, warm on my cheek.

‘I thought maybe we could have lunch together.’ I tuck my arm into his, and we start to walk along the street, dodging the rubbish that spills from an overflowing bin as we pass.

‘Oh. We can do, I only have half an hour, though. Are you all right?’ He stops and turns to study me closely. ‘You look awful.’

‘Thanks.’

‘I didn’t mean it like that, I just meant… you’re pale, and you look exhausted.’

‘I am a bit tired,’ I say, ‘I just wanted some company. Surely you can spare a lunch hour for your old lady?’ I nudge him, and give a laugh, showing him that I am just fine.

‘Of course, come on.’ Rupert leads me to a pub tucked down a small alley. It’s a proper pub, the kind I imagine my dad used to go to. Not that I would know. He left before I was old enough to remember him. We order drinks – a pint of IPA for him, a large white wine for me – and both of us order steak and chips.

‘Rupert,’ I say, once the food has been delivered and we’re halfway through our drinks. ‘I wanted to talk to you about some things.’

‘Oh?’ He pauses, his last few chips crammed tightly on his fork, almost at his mouth. ‘What things?’

‘Well… about Caro. I feel as though you haven’t been entirely honest with me about what happened.’

Rupert sighs, laying his fork down beside his plate. ‘Emily, look, I told you before…’

‘I know,’ I interrupt, ‘I know it’s painful for you to talk about. I do understand that. But to hear from Sadie that Caro was pregnant when she died, I mean… I just felt…’

‘Sadie needs to mind her own business. What happens between you and I is nothing to do with her, nor is my relationship with Caro. Look, I wasn’t going to show you this until tonight.’ He digs deep into his jacket pocket, pulling out a piece of white paper, carefully folded in half. ‘Here, look at this.’

I reach across the table for the paper, uncertainty making my heart skip a little in my chest. Slowly, I unfold it and scan the words written there, as Rupert’s eyes never leave my face.

‘Well?’

‘I don’t know what to say.’ I smile, folding the paper again. It’s a three-night stay at a luxury cottage in the Cotswolds. I mentioned to Rupert that it looked lovely after I saw it in one of Sadie’s glossy, upmarket magazines, but I never expected him to book it. I press my hands to my cheeks, trying to hold back my grin. ‘Thank you. This is incredible.’