‘How very modern,’ Katie said.

‘I know. When Dad remarried a couple of years later, Mum even came to the wedding. Although she did have a few comments to make about the new bride’s age.’ He laughed at the memory.

He doesn’t seem to harbour any anger or resentment, Katie thought. She couldn’t get her head around it at all. ‘Has your mum remarried?’

‘No. There’s been a bloke or two I think, but nothing serious.’

‘It must have been so hard for you all, having your parents split up.’

‘You know, it really wasn’t that bad. Mum and Dad made sure it wasn’t. They were very cool about it and they still are now. I think it probably hit Indie and Benji harder as they were that bit older. Indie and Mum had a difficult relationship for a while and she ended up leaving school and moving out when she was sixteen. She’s a model now,’ he added proudly.

‘Wow,’ Katie said, impressed. She vaguely remembered Freddy’s sullen and slightly terrifying older sister. ‘What about the rest of you?’

‘Benji’s an actor, he’s currently in that BBC drama, The Boys? Have you seen it?’

When Katie shook her head, he shrugged. ‘It’s quite good. Ellie lives in New Zealand and works for a conservation charity. And here I am, the baby of the family.’

A model, an actor, a charity worker and an Oxford University student. What a family of high achievers. Katie braced herself for the inevitable question that she knew was coming.

‘How about you?’

‘Well, Mum and Dad stayed together,’ she began. ‘We moved to Cambridge, that’s where Dad’s family is from. Mum’s a swimming teacher and she coaches the county youth team and Dad works in property. Tom’s at uni in Manchester. A bit boring really.’

It all sounded horribly mundane compared to Freddy’s jet-setting, successful family and Katie felt self-conscious. She took a gulp of her drink.

‘And you’re at Oxford,’ Freddy said, raising his glass again.

‘Yes.’ She looked down at her drink and realised with disappointment that she’d finished it. She didn’t want to leave. Given everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours, he was probably the last person she should want to see but she was enjoying his company. There was something about him that made her feel at ease. ‘Another round?’ she asked, hesitantly.

He nodded and she stood up and made her way over to the bar.

When she returned, he was flicking through his phone. ‘Here,’ he said, showing her a photo. ‘Here are Indie, Benji and Ellie. We took this photo a couple of months ago when Ellie came back for a holiday.’

Katie looked at the photo and felt another jolt of recognition. It may have been more than a decade since she’d seen the Taylors but looking at their faces brought back vivid memories.

‘And here’s Mum and Dad.’ He showed her another photo of Angie and Jack, looking at each other and laughing. They definitely didn’t look like divorcees.