What even was granita when it was at home? I caught Melissa’s eye.

I’d been relieved – if not slightly aggrieved – to find her ensconced in the cavernous room when I’d sloped in, the ursine Rex shooting the breeze with Marcus, possessive arm around my friend’s trim waist.

‘Hello.’ I’d raised a quizzical eyebrow at Melissa over Rex’s shoulder.

‘Hey, hon!’ Lithe and elegant as ever in skinny jeans and cork wedges, Melissa had inclined her head subtly at Rex, mouthing, I’ll explain later.

OK, I mouthed back, turning to admire the garden.

The warm July night had allowed the doors to be pushed back, leading onto floodlit decking and an enormous, serene Buddha, throwing a studio at the end of the lush lawn into shadowed relief, the whole effect like looking onto some kind of Eden.

Tiny twinkly garden lights strewn about the shrubbery only underlined the paradisal effect – in which I felt entirely tense, not helped by the fact I was now perching on a Swedish-type stool so angular it must have been designed by a sadomasochist.

‘What’s that?’ Melissa broke free of Rex to point down the garden. ‘A zipline?’ A crow of delight replaced her frown. ‘Can we have a go?’

‘Not sure it’ll take your weight, sweetie.’ Nella cocked her head in sympathy. ‘Beau was so brilliant on the one in Cannes at Easter, we got him one. You understand, don’t you? He just loves whizzing up and down.’

‘Oh, sure,’ Melissa said, more honed and toned than any woman I’d met, and grinned wryly. ‘Don’t fancy another night-time dash to A & E anyway. And what’s that posh shed?’

‘That? Oh, just my little potter’s studio,’ Nella said. ‘Now I hardly do any TV, I throw pots. We all need a place to retreat, don’t you agree, Ruth?’

I realised she was addressing me. ‘Oh – oh yes.’ I dragged myself back from Melissa’s words, and the memory of my own last terrible dash to A & E. ‘I expect so.’

‘Although the neighbour… Well, it’s been audacious.’ Nella’s refined purr dripped now with a surprising tone. ‘Not moved in yet and making so much mess renovating, it’s hard to retreat at all right now. Cheeky, don’t you think?’

‘Oh?’ I gripped my drink, terrified the fragile glass would shatter in my clammy hand. A retreat to me meant a night off from the Addams Family in the flat above, arguing with such relentless continuity I could set my watch by them.

‘We’ve not met him yet. Anyway, girls’ – Nella clapped her hands with enthusiasm – ‘time is money, as they say.’

Money. Definitely didn’t want to think about that right now – the red bills, the unpaid invoices…

‘Is Lena coming?’ Melissa checked her phone. ‘I’ll just— Oh God!’

‘What?’ Her vehemence alarmed me. ‘Mel? Is it Ceci?’

‘Oh no, sorry, it’s—’ She jabbed at buttons frantically. ‘Nothing. It just died, that’s all.’

‘I’m hoping Lena’ll join us in a bit, if she sorts her little man.’ Nella checked her phone. ‘She’s a PR whizz, and a real asset to the street party.’