During the journey home, she thought about Sol and Cat. There’d been such a strange tension in the house when she’d called there that morning, an awkwardness she’d never seen between them before. Surely lack of sleep couldn’t be the cause – Romy was such a contented baby and they were always boasting how she slept through the night, affording her parents the same luxury. No, they’d obviously rowed about something. Which disturbed Lana. Because it was such a rarity. Even during their dark days when they’d been trying for Romy, they’d managed to come through smiling. Lana had asked Catrin about it in the car but the conversation was rapidly shut down with a Don’t be daft, we’re absolutely fine! They clearly weren’t.

Catrin and Solomon’s marriage was a constant in Lana’s life – and she held it in high regard. Probably because she herself had been divorced twice, so to her, Cat and Sol were the epitome of how to get it right. She still cringed whenever she thought back to her first husband, William, a guest director at college in her final term. He’d been twenty-five years older than her and married. But Lana had sworn to Catrin that he was The One and that the mess and pain of his divorce would be worth it in the end. Their wedding was a small affair held in Guildford register office, attended by Lana’s parents, Catrin, Solomon and William’s sister. William’s only daughter did not approve and did not attend, disgusted that she was the same age as her new stepmother. After the short ceremony, the twenty-two-year-old bride and the forty-seven-year-old groom treated their small group of guests to a pub lunch nearby. Lana swore to Cat it was the happiest day of her life. Until two bottles of wine later, when she cried to her in the ladies’ loos that she wished Judith was there too. Two years had passed since the fateful fall-out at Montgomery Hall.

‘It’s my wedding day, Cat. For God’s sake, the three of us should be here together!’ she wailed. ‘I should’ve invited her.’

Catrin quietly comforted her friend.

‘D’you think she feels the same?’ sobbed Lana.

‘I don’t know, babe,’ Catrin said.

‘Well, maybe if she and Gareth ever get hitched, she’ll invite me to that and we can start again. You an’ me could be bridesmaids.’ She smiled weakly through her tears. ‘You’ll have to persuade her.’

And then Catrin made her confession. ‘They’re already married,’ she whispered.

‘What?’

‘Jude and Gareth. They got married just after Jack was born.’

Lana felt like she’d been punched. The hurt was so palpable and she’d cried so much she soon transformed her bridal beauty into snotty, red-faced, red-eyed sorrow.

Catrin kept apologizing. ‘I couldn’t tell you, I knew how hurt you’d be. And look at you now! I was right.’

On reflection, Lana felt hugely sympathetic towards Catrin. It must have been awful for her, being stuck between her two best friends like that. But it didn’t make her feel any better.