Molly had worked for the same company since graduating. Working her way up, certainly, but for the same company. The thought suddenly appalled her. How incredibly dull it sounded. What had happened to the exciting ambitious woman she’d been in university? It would have been easy to blame marriage and children, but unfair; Jack had supported her through every promotional opportunity. And, between au pairs, childminders and the wonderful much-missed Rebecca in the last ten years, she’d had plenty of help with the children. Intelligent and experienced, she could have gone anywhere. But she’d stayed put.

‘They’ve been very good to me,’ she said. ‘Plus, it’s secure, lucrative, well-regarded. There is a certain cachet about working for Dawson Marketing that I wouldn’t have had elsewhere.’

‘But the same company, all these years?’ He raised his hands, palms out. ‘I’m sorry, that was rude.’

‘No, it wasn’t. You’re right. It sounds appalling,’ Molly said, with an attempt at a smile that failed.

Amelia, obviously bored with the conversation, told them a long, rambling, barely coherent story about a mutual acquaintance that was amusing enough to lighten a mood that had turned a little oppressive.

When Tristan suggested retiring to the lounge for after-dinner drinks, Molly pleaded tiredness and made her escape. Amelia, she noticed, made no attempt to persuade her to stay.

Back in her bedroom, Molly flopped on her bed and groaned. What a night! She lay for a few minutes before she gave a chuckle and sat up to reach for her handbag. Opening it, she pulled out her mobile phone and pressed a speed dial button.

When it went to answer machine after a few rings, she grunted, hung up and dialled again. It wasn’t until the third attempt that the call was answered. ‘Hi,’ she said, adding a fake breeziness to her voice, wondering where Jack was, who he was with. She could hear voices and the faint sound of laughter too light and high-pitched to be anything but female. They’d probably gone to a pub after dinner, she reasoned, there was nothing to be concerned about.

‘Hi, darlin’, you havin’ a good time?’

‘Wonderful,’ she said. It wasn’t a complete lie; the food had been good. ‘You in O’Dea’s?’

‘Yeah, me an’ Charlie, we’re havin’ a few pints.’

It sounded like he’d had more than a few. ‘Tell Charlie I said hello,’ she said. ‘I wish you’d come here, Jack, the hotel is really lovely and there are beautiful gardens that run down to the canal. The towpath is along the other side, I’m going to go for a run along it in the morning.’

‘At cockcrow, I s’ppose.’