‘Now,’ I said, reaching behind me for the curtain and twisting to peer out into the darkened avenue, ‘hadn’t you better be going, or Kerry will be knocking on our door and, relaxed as the woman is, I’d rather she didn’t see me in my pygmy PJs.’ I looked down regretfully at the shrunken, unironed legs of my hitherto favourite rainbow-stripe pyjamas; the most recent victim of my refusal to take care-labels seriously.

Giles took his phone from his pocket. ‘She intended to text when the sitter arrived. Oh and she has texted,’ he said, checking the phone. ‘Oh… oh, dear. Oh… OK…’

‘Problem?’

‘A slight one,’ he replied. ‘Kerry’s sitter has had to cancel. She’s got cover, but not until seven forty-five at the earliest.’

I pulled a face. ‘What a pain. The table’s booked for seven thirty, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, but it can’t be helped. I’ll just call the restaurant,’ he said, tapping the screen, ‘and see if I can move the booking to eight, or maybe eight fifteen, to be safe.’

‘Hang on,’ I said. ‘Is Kerry ready to go?’

He looked up from his phone. ‘Yes, but—’

‘OK, then.’ I eased a reluctant Anthony off my lap and stood up. ‘I’ll pop round and stay with Harry until the replacement sitter gets there.’

I walked past Giles, as Anthony staggered the short distance to him and flopped down prone across his feet.

‘Are you sure?’ asked Giles, attempting to shuffle after me into the hallway.

‘Of course,’ I said, swapping my slippers for a pair of pumps and grabbing my keys from the vestibule cupboard. ‘It’ll save you the faff of changing your dinner arrangements. I’ll send Kerry round to you right away.’ Opening the front door, I stepped outside and slammed it shut before Giles could raise an objection.

I scurried down the path, out onto the pavement and then up Kerry’s path to her front door, all the while keeping my head low and shielding my face with my hands, lest a neighbour should spot me. Then I pulled the bell and waited, shivering a little.

A moment or two later, Kerry opened the door, looking beautiful in a dark blue, fit-and-flare dress patterned with grey leaves.

‘Edie!’ she exclaimed, obviously surprised to see me but, to her credit, resisting any urge she may have been experiencing to look me up and down. ‘Come in, come in,’ she beckoned. ‘You must be frozen. What’s going on? Are you locked out?’ she asked, ushering me into the hallway and closing the front door.

I laughed. ‘No, I’ve come round to sit with Harry until the official sitter gets here, so that you and Giles don’t miss your dinner reservation.’

‘Oh,’ her expression went from confused to delighted in an instant. ‘Are you sure? You look ready for bed.’