Harry ran a finger across his bottom lip as he continued to study her and Janie felt herself squirm under his scrutiny. It felt like he had caught her out, yet there was nothing he could bring up that she had done wrong. She hadn’t done a thing. That was the bloody problem.

She waited for him to pursue it, but he didn’t. Instead he said, ‘Getting a bit tricky at work at the moment. Laura’s not happy, bless her.’

Bless her? Did he really just say that? She shifted her body to face him, but he was oblivious as he rattled on.

‘I tried to convince her I don’t want to lose her, but …’ he drifted off, shaking his head.

No, I bet you don’t want to lose her, she thought. Her body was rigid and she tried edging away from him, but Harry was so tightly squeezed against her that it was hard to move.

Janie had always had her suspicions about them. Right from the start, when Harry couldn’t stop talking about Laura’s prospects, how he wanted to give her a chance. She had watched them both at their annual parties, clocked the way her husband’s gaze lingered on Laura as she spoke, how he trailed after her when she walked out of the room.

Laura was both pretty and ten years younger than her. Her long, dark hair was often loosely pulled back and she had a smattering of light freckles on her face that made her look even younger. She always brought her husband, Nate, to their parties – a nice man who, by all accounts, had properly supported his wife in what she wanted to do after having a baby by actually giving up his job. Not just paying for a nanny.

Surely Laura wouldn’t give up someone like him for her husband? Janie wondered, as Harry went on. But then would she be that upset if Harry did run off with Laura Denning? At least then she wouldn’t have to make the choice.

‘I don’t know,’ he was muttering, and she realised she’d zoned out for a moment and that all she wanted was that she wasn’t made a fool of. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have kept Mia on, but my hands were tied. I just need to make sure Laura has enough—’