‘I’m sure you’re right,’ she said, with the kindly condescension of a psychiatrist addressing a delusional patient. ‘I should have talked to Alison. I suppose I just didn’t have the energy for that – not with all the Cameron crap and a move to Bath on offer. But don’t forget that you have options,’ she continued gently. ‘There’s a job coming up with us soon and the starting salary would be great; not far off mine.’

I took a deep breath, surprised at how angry I was becoming.

‘Thanks.’ I tried to smile, but couldn’t even come close. Instead, with my heart thumping in my chest and feeling too breathless for wasted words, I got to the point. ‘Alison told me that you didn’t make a complaint against Cameron.’

‘What?’ The question was out before I had finished speaking. Her colour rose and she glared furiously at me. ‘What did she say about me? That woman so resents me. She wouldn’t think twice about misrepresenting me.’

‘She didn’t say anything about you, other than that you hadn’t made a complaint against him,’ I said, working to keep my voice steady. ‘I don’t understand why you told me that you had.’

She took a moment before replying, her complexion gradually cooling. ‘Well, put yourself in my place,’ she said. ‘If I’d told you I’d done nothing about it, you’d have never shut up. You’d have dragged me kicking and screaming into Alison’s office, or you’d have told her yourself. All I wanted was for you to know what a shit he was, so that you didn’t get hurt. I didn’t want to kick-start a complaints procedure – not when I was leaving anyway.’

I stared at her, grudgingly impressed by her quick thinking, as well as frustrated that the only way of contradicting her would be to drop Luke in it. And I had no doubt that she would make trouble for him over a breach of confidentiality if I did that.

‘Actually, I’m really hurt,’ she continued quietly, her head lowered and her voice now heavy with disappointment, ‘that you’re sitting here, berating me for trying to protect you.’

‘There was no need to lie to me,’ I said, ‘about anything. I would always prefer to hear the truth – no matter what it is.’

She looked up and her expression softened further. ‘OK, so maybe, in hindsight, that was wrong of me. But I hid the truth from you with the best of intentions. Anyway, look,’ she said, heaving a sigh, ‘I’ve been really looking forward to seeing you and we’ve got all serious and – once again – it’s that bastard, Cameron, at the root of it. Let’s just forget about him and talk about something or someone else. How is life outside the office?’