I frowned into my glass, mulling over what she had said and accepting that the facts, as related by Luke, didn’t reflect at all well on Cameron. But while I was positive that Luke was an honest, well-meaning kind of guy, he could easily have misunderstood the situation. That, coupled with a conviction that Alison’s principles were pretty unshakeable, made the scenario an unlikely one. So either Cameron’s actions had somehow been misinterpreted, or Alison somehow knew nothing about them.

I looked at Ruby. ‘There’s info missing. I’m certain of it.’

‘Because you’re just so in tune with Alison?’ she sighed, her disapproval unmistakeable.

‘Well, yes, actually,’ I said, feeling a little stung. ‘I think I do know Alison pretty well professionally and in the past two-and-a-half years she hasn’t done anything which I couldn’t get on-board with. I’m not saying that Luke has deliberately misled—’

‘Edie, listen to me,’ she interrupted, her tone now irritatingly maternal. ‘How do you think Alison rose to the top of the tree? A woman in a male-dominated profession, who started out with no connections or financial backing, now heading up her own architectural firm? Do you honestly think she got there without ever bending the rules, manipulating people or capitalising on situations to get what she wanted?’

‘What I find difficult to believe,’ I said steadily, ‘is that any rule-bending or manipulation would involve her being complicit in a man taking advantage of a woman. In any way.’

‘Maybe she thinks the woman getting the low-cost extension has the advantage,’ she said. ‘And maybe she does. But I still don’t like it and I still think it makes Cameron a creep.’

‘Only if it’s true,’ I pointed out, leaning back in my chair. ‘There’s still room for doubt about who’s done what and who knows what.’

‘Not in my mind.’ She looked at me and hesitated for a moment before continuing. ‘But in any case, I don’t hate him for the discount pricing in exchange for sex, Edie. That just makes him a shallow prick. I hate him because…’ She paused. ‘I hate him because he came on to me and then didn’t like it when I made it clear that I wasn’t interested.’ She spoke quietly, her voice now calm and steady. ‘And he was…’ She raised her hands, ‘handsy. That’s why I hate him. That’s why I’m angry. So just be on your guard.’ There was a catch in her voice as she concluded her speech with a wobbly smile.

‘What?’ I exclaimed, horrified. ‘Why didn’t you tell me that right away?’