‘No idea. Probably something to do with the convention, or Aldermere. He’s always got a question or two, that Ashok. He was bending Clementine’s ear at lunchtime yesterday too. He spotted her through the window and headed out to chase her. Almost missed pudding.’ Harry rolled his eyes. ‘At least it stopped him telling those stupid Christmas cracker jokes.’

Ashok, again. Caro was starting to get suspicious about their Christmas Johnnie wannabe. ‘Anything else you’ve noticed about Ashok this weekend?’

‘I don’t think so.’ Harry frowned. ‘Apart from the fact he was hanging around outside your room earlier.’ He nodded at Posy as he spoke. ‘Pretended like he was waiting for us, and joined us when we walked past.’

‘When was this?’ Rosalind asked, sharply.

‘Must have been before lunch, I think.’ Harry turned to his wife. ‘Before lunch, wasn’t it?’

‘Yes. Before lunch. Now can we go?’ Heather radiated impatience, and annoyance. Caro almost wanted to think of another question to call her back for, but she suspected they’d got all they could out of the couple. She nodded, and Harry hurried to catch up with his wife.

They reached the main path before Heather looked back at them, her arm linked with Harry’s, and scowled. ‘You three want to play at really being Dahlia Lively instead of pretending for the cameras? Fine. But don’t expect the rest of us to forget that you’re a washed-up child star with issues; a tired, old actress who doesn’t know when to retire; and a two-bit wannabe who only ever played one part and can’t even get a part in the latest movie, when everyone else who has ever been connected to Dahlia Lively has a cameo.’ With a cruelly sympathetic smile, Heather shook her head. ‘Really, Caro. What would Dahlia think of that?’

Caro wanted to respond, wanted to take Heather down as comprehensively as she’d just destroyed the three of them. But the words dried up. All those years of perfecting Dahlia’s putdowns and sharp comebacks in the mirror, and they’d deserted her now.

Because Heather was right. Dahlia wouldn’t have been used by Marcus, the way she had been. She wasn’t Dahlia, wasn’t anywhere close to her hero. Why was she still trying to pretend she was?

‘I’ve always thought that the worst kind of fans are those who think they’re owed something. Don’t you, Posy?’ Rosalind drawled.

‘You mean, the kind who want to police who is allowed to like a book or a film? Who think they’re better than other fans, and so deserve more?’ Posy replied.

Caro blinked, raising her eyes from the ground as the warmth of their words started to fill her. They were supporting her. Almost like friends.