‘Change of plan,’ she said, shrugging off her coat and giving her mum an air kiss. ‘Thought I’d spend Christmas with you lot of losers instead.’

‘I haven’t got your room ready–’ her mum began but Indie stopped her.

‘It’s fine, Mum, don’t worry.’

‘Oh, I’m so delighted to see you. We’ll have the whole family back together for the first time in… Golly, how long has it been?’

Ellie and her girlfriend, Chrissie, came down the stairs. Ellie’s face lit up with delight when she saw her sister.

‘Bloody hell, Indie, we didn’t know you were coming!’ Ellie looked behind her and shouted over her shoulder, ‘Freddo, come down here, you’ll never guess who’s just rocked up!’

Freddy appeared a few seconds later, in his signature tracksuit bottoms and jumper, the only one in the family who wasn’t surprised to see her there. ‘All right, sis,’ he said.

‘Where’s Benji?’ Indie asked, after she had hugged everyone.

‘Oh you know Benji, he’s busy, but he’s coming over for dinner later,’ Angie explained. ‘He’s got a new girlfriend, Bianca someone, he wants us to meet.’

‘Not Bianca Friedman? The hot new actress Bianca Friedman?’ Chrissie asked, eyes wide.

‘God knows, I can’t keep track of that boy,’ Angie said, looking proud.

‘And Dad?’ Indie asked.

‘Dad and What’s-her-face are coming over too.’

Indie gave her mother a withering look. Jack had been remarried for eight years but Angie still referred to his wife as What’s-her-face.

‘Well, this calls for a celebration,’ Angie said brightly. ‘I’ll get the champagne!’

Ellie and Chrissie started to follow her into the kitchen but Indie hung back and grabbed Freddy’s arm. ‘What’s the plan?’ she hissed. ‘When are you gonna tell them about Katie?’

‘Tonight,’ he said. ‘Get it out of the way.’

‘I’m here for you, Freddo, I’ve got your back, okay?’

He smiled at her. ‘I’m really glad you’re here, Indie.’

‘Tom, do you remember a boy called Freddy Taylor? He used to live next door to us when we lived in London?’

Katie’s brother scrunched up his nose as he tried to remember. ‘Vaguely,’ he said. Then his face lit up with recognition. ‘Oh yes I do! He had loads of brothers and sisters, didn’t he? We used to play in their treehouse.’

‘That’s it,’ she said, cautiously.

‘Why?’

‘I bumped into him, in Oxford.’

‘Wow, small world.’ Tom didn’t seem that interested.

‘We’re kind of seeing each other.’

‘Good for you.’

‘The thing is… I’m going to tell Mum and Dad and I’m a bit worried about it.’

‘Why?’

This was her opportunity to tell her brother the whole story. Up until now she had urged her mum not to burden him with the truth but she knew that if she and Freddy were for keeps there was no way they could keep it from him. In any case, it wasn’t fair on him to be the only one in the dark. She looked at her brother, who was sprawled across the sofa, legs thrown over one of the arms, playing a game on his phone and she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.