Minnie felt tears welling in her eyes and she wiped them away furiously; she didn’t want the others to see her crying. ‘Maybe we’ll see each other at the ponds?’ he said softly.

‘I don’t think so, Quinn.’

She hung up the phone and gritted her teeth, willing the tears not to come. She took a minute to compose herself and then headed back towards the house. At least she knew now, at least there was no more deluding herself, no thinking of excuses for why he’d gone quiet. A cardboard girl was definitely not someone to weather the storm with.

She walked back over to the others and handed Tara the phone as cheerfully as she could. She got through tea and then, finally, once Fleur had finished setting up Tara’s blog and shown her how to use it, they were able to leave. As Tara thanked them and said goodbye at the door, she pulled Minnie aside.

‘I know I’ve made life difficult for him, poor boy,’ Tara said, her voice shaking. ‘I tried not to lean on him so but … when I was at my lowest, I didn’t even realise I was doing it.’

Minnie squeezed Tara’s hand. She didn’t know what to say. Tara pulled Minnie into a hug and spoke quietly in her ear. ‘Don’t give up on him, Minnie. You’re what he needs, I can see it.’

Minnie didn’t want to tell her that it was too late, she had already given up.

New Year’s Eve 2019

‘Where have you been hiding, Quinn? I’ve hardly seen you all night.’

Lucy walked towards him, her hips swaying hypnotically as she sashayed across the room in stiletto heels. She planted a firm kiss on Quinn’s lips then took him by the elbow, escorting him over to the far end of the room, away from the volume of the band. The party was in full swing; there were over two hundred people here. Quinn didn’t know he had this many friends. Lucy had arranged it all – the venue, the band, the private catering.

‘Have you talked to Rupert yet?’

‘Rupert … ’ Quinn’s eyes hovered up and to the right betraying the fact he had no idea who Rupert was or why he was supposed to speak to him.

‘Oh Quinn,’ Lucy gave a delicate foot stomp. ‘Rupert! The Lexon guy, he’s a great business contact for you. He’s also desperate to employ me. I keep telling him I’m happy at the paper, but you never know when these contacts are going to come in useful.’

Quinn nodded, as though it had been a case of temporarily forgetting the guy’s name, rather than having no memory of the conversation.