From worrying about you, Kate thought.

‘So, here we are …’

Kate smiled back at him. It was hard to resist his infectious self-satisfaction. And who could blame him? Now cleared of all suspicion, he had the time and space to settle into the job he’d always wanted. Even for a man as insecure as Ian, there could be no real dispute that he had arrived – in every way that mattered.

‘Did you hear that Celia and I are back together?’

‘I hadn’t,’ she said truthfully. ‘But that’s good.’ And inevitable, Kate thought, for all Celia’s protestations of distaste. She was tempted to ask what had become of Suzy, but saw no point in rubbing Ian’s nose in it. Suzy would no doubt have been dispatched back over the river to her former bosses in MI5, with her tail between her legs. She might think a little harder in future before shacking up with her boss.

‘How are the children?’ Ian asked.

Kate shrugged. This was neither the time nor the place to get into the devastating impact of Stuart’s death and Rose’s betrayal on Fiona and Gus, though in truth she had been surprised by the stoicism they had displayed, as if no longer surprised or shocked by anything the world could throw at them. ‘Time will tell,’ she said. ‘We’ve stuck together.’

‘And you. How are you?’

‘In what sense?’

‘I heard Shirley Grove has you in doing consultancy work for the Cabinet Office. Sounds ominous. Planning some big shake-up of the whole system?’

Ah, so that explains the sudden invitation to breakfast, Kate thought.

‘But that’s not why I asked you in here,’ Ian corrected swiftly.

‘She’s just helping tide me over financially until I can find another job. I have a mortgage to pay and two children to support and London isn’t getting any cheaper.’

‘Oh, quite. It’s a scandal.’ Ian poured himself some coffee and stirred it thoughtfully. ‘The lawyers say your aunt is certain to plead guilty, which is a relief to us all. I’m so sorry for the burden it must have placed on you, Kate. What with that and poor old Stuart …’

You have no idea, she thought. ‘Is there any news on Incisor?’ she asked, to change the subject.

‘I’m afraid not. It doesn’t look good.’ He straightened up, ready to get down to business. ‘Look, Kate, I’ll cut to the chase. I asked you in here because we need you back. This denouement with Rose … I don’t need to tell you it’s a bad bloody business. Morale is at rock bottom. We need to rebuild and I’ll require all the talent I can lay my hands on.’

‘I’m afraid I have to stop you there, Ian.’ She gestured at her surroundings. ‘It’s very kind of you to ask me in here and give me the royal treatment, but I’m honestly done. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, but I’m certain I’ve had more than my fill of Igor Borodin’s wiles and schemes, which you have been too polite to remind me you saw through quite clearly from the start.’