‘Oh,’ replied Clio. She sounded like a little girl who’s been told she can’t have a pony. ‘That’s such a shame. But I suppose I understand. Christmas Day is special for children. I can see why you wouldn’t want to change things. Especially not this year.’

I relaxed, relieved that Clio seemed to be taking my refusal so well. I should have known she was up to something.

‘But,’ she continued slyly, ‘I bet you’re free on Boxing Day. Come then instead. We’ll shut ourselves away in my place and you won’t have to go anywhere near the main Hall. I’ll get Marlon to come too. We can have our own little Christmas, just the five of us.’

I was snookered. I couldn’t come up with an excuse fast enough and anyway, would it be so very dreadful to spend Boxing Day with my best friend and my – I couldn’t quite use the word without squirming just a little bit – boyfriend in a stately home with someone else doing the cooking?

I heard myself sigh down the phone. ‘Okay, Clio. You win.’

A little cheer came back at me.

The trains were chaotic on Boxing Day, so Marlon came to collect us. I saw the battered Volvo pull up outside and my heart sang. I wasn’t really sure when things had switched from Marlon being quirky and good fun to me feeling like he was a part of me, but somewhere along the line that had happened. Marlon was everything I’d never gone for in a man before, and yet here I was, skipping up and down by the window at the sight of him like I was Poppy’s age. When I thought about it, though, perhaps it was precisely because he wasn’t like any of the others that made it feel so right.

He climbed out of the car and then opened the boot and took a present out. Shit. We’d agreed no presents and I, true to my word, hadn’t bought him anything. I was going to look like a proper Charlie now.

As I opened the door, my mouth was already open to object to his unfair breaking of our rule, but he put his finger to his lips.

‘I know what you’re going to say, but this isn’t for you.’

He waved the present at me and despite my annoyance of a moment before, I now felt disappointed. The present was beautifully wrapped in silvery paper with a big red bow and masses of curling ribbon.

‘Is it for the kids?’ I asked. ‘Should I get them?’

Marlon screwed his nose up. ‘It is for them, kind of, but I think maybe you should open it.’

I narrowed my eyes at him. ‘So, it is for me?’