‘Oh, yes? Is it that you want lawyers to do for us a pre-nup?’ She had begun walking very quickly, throwing him glances, which slowed Lucas’s realisation both that she was joking, and that it was her own, serious assets that she had in mind. Her well-groomed parents, the retail outlets across Germany, the energetic, handsomely aging grandparents – it all contributed to a picture of a level of affluence that he hadn’t quite taken on board before. ‘All I want is you, Heidi, and nothing more.’ He could hear the bleakness in his voice as dread pulsed again. He needn’t mention the Moira business. Keeping things to himself – compartmentalising – had served him well in the past. Until it hadn’t. ‘I would be totally happy to keep our finances separate,’ he said after a pause, ‘if that was what you wanted.’

Heidi slowed her pace to throw him a faintly puzzled, affectionate look. ‘But that is not what our vows will say, Lucas. After marriage we shall be bound as one, in all things.’ She reached to clasp his hand, as deeply solemn as he had ever seen her. ‘Trust, Liebchen, and sharing.’

‘Trust and sharing,’ he echoed hoarsely.

She had come to a halt so that they were facing each other. ‘You are worried about something, Lucas, I can tell. Is it Esther? I have already told you, I will never try to play mother to Dylan and Lily…’

‘No, no, it’s nothing like that… but, thank you for saying so. No, it’s just a stupid thing that has arisen at college,’ he said as they turned again to walk on. ‘It is going to take a little sorting out.’

‘What stupid thing?’

‘To do with that student, Moira Giddings.’

‘That girl who persuaded you to give an opinion on her creative writing?’ Heidi snorted, shaking her head, and Lucas felt a little better.

‘That’s the one.’ He let out some breath and launched, grimly and doggedly, into all that had now transpired, including the conclusions of the morning meeting and a summary of his efforts to point out the ludicrousness of the accusation.

Heidi stopped again, so abruptly that he had to retrace a couple of steps. ‘But this is bad, Lucas. Terrible. A nightmare.’ Her beautiful hazel eyes were huge with dismay.

‘Yes, it is.’ He tried to hug her, but she pushed him back.

‘Moira Giddings has made this accusation? To you?’ She gave a sudden punch to his shoulder, quite hard, filling him with confusion as to whether it was a gesture of solidarity or attack.

‘Yes, she has, but—’

‘Inappropriate behaviour? She has said this?’

‘Yes, but it is all nonsense, Heidi – you know that, surely. I did nothing. Nothing. Except help the damn girl, for Christ’s sake.’