For the second time today, I’m hit by shock. I should be delighted, but instead I’m outraged, upset, cynical, smothering the urge to flail my fists into the softness of his overcoat, to scream at him: Why this pretence, when we both know you want to be with her? But outrage is pointless and the feelings are quickly replaced by numbness.

‘Richard’s going to Dubai next month. He was talking about it today.’

As he speaks, the penny drops. Richard is a colleague of Andrew’s and Andrew simply wants to be able to brag about where we’re going to sound impressive, to outdo everyone else’s holidays, while at the same time perpetuating the myth that we’re a close family when the reality is we’re anything but.

I put my hands in my pockets. ‘Let’s see, shall we?’ I know my cool response won’t be what he’s expecting.

‘You’re always saying you want me to make more effort,’ he says through gritted teeth. ‘But the trouble with you, Elise, is that it’s only ever one bloody way – your way.’

Angst rises inside me. It’s the opposite of the truth. There’s only ever Andrew’s way, but there is no mileage in pointing this out. Instead, as the pub comes into view, I steel myself for his metamorphosis into the charming village doctor everyone believes him to be. Andrew’s practice is four miles away and most of the villagers are his patients. In public, he never puts a foot wrong.

Niamh

When I first met Hollie, I’d already seen her enough times in the distance to know she was different. She was in the churchyard that day, standing with her back to me, her long dark hair reaching halfway down her back. She turned quickly when a twig cracked under my foot.

I stared at her for a moment, taking in her wide eyes and pale skin. In her thin white dress she looked delicate, as though the wind could blow her away. ‘I’m Niamh.’

Her eyes darted around before settling on mine. ‘I’m Hollie.’

‘I know.’ I shivered. It was as though Hollie was a ghost surrounded by the silent graves between us. I was about to walk away, but curiosity got the better of me. ‘Are you OK?’

She nodded, but I saw loneliness in her eyes. The first raindrop fell on my skin then, and as more started to fall, I glanced up at the sky just as the heavens opened.

Hollie nodded towards the church. ‘Maybe we should go in.’

I followed her towards the wooden door, which creaked open once she lifted the heavy latch. Standing in the doorway, watching the deluge, neither of us spoke for a few seconds.