He grinned up at me. ‘Tempting, but no. Hey, Cam might take you up on it though,’ he added, raising his voice. ‘Eh, Cam? Fancy going to Edie’s wine and cheese party?’

Cameron turned in his chair. ‘Sounds about my required level of excitement,’ he said.

I forced a laugh and turned back to Luke. ‘Can’t quite believe the extent to which my Friday night is being dissed here.’

‘Ah, shaddap,’ he said. ‘You know you’re the coolest person in the office.’

I smiled at him, grateful for the easy affection and not caring whether the compliment was a serious one or not. ‘Have a good weekend and say bye-bye to those two for me when they come out of there.’ I motioned towards Alison’s office, where she and Roger were seated at the conference table, clearly in deep discussion.

‘Will do. Go easy on the Emmental.’

‘I’m more of a Gruyère girl,’ I said, heading across the office and tacking on a ‘Night, Cameron,’ as I walked past his desk.

‘Edie,’ he said, quickly standing up and glancing towards Luke, who at that moment was knocking on Alison’s door with a bundle of files under one arm.

‘Yes?’ I paused, disappointed to find myself appraising and approving the fit of his navy blue shirt as he approached.

‘This evening…’

I shook my head. ‘Don’t worry, Giles has already told me that you can’t make it and to be honest it’s just as well. People might have to share glasses as it is. Apparently, double the numbers are coming to the parties this year compared to last. Something to do with austerity, Giles thinks.’

‘Austerity?’ Cameron frowned. ‘Really?’

I didn’t reply or turn away, deliberately allowing him an eleventh-hour opportunity to make some reference, no matter how small, to our looming meeting with Alison. Even a tiny hint as to why he felt unable to discuss any of it with me would be something, because his failure to do so to date was bound to set alarms bells ringing for our boss regarding our ability to maintain an effective working partnership in the future. Didn’t he see that?

Or maybe he did see that. Maybe he wasn’t actually interested in a partnership and maybe, for all Ruby’s lies and misrepresentations, she had been right about one thing, namely Cameron’s preference for a uniquely privileged, one-to-one relationship with the boss, rather than a shared one.

I looked up at him, reluctant to believe her analysis and willing him to say something, anything, to confirm himself as the uncomplicated and – OK, yes – increasingly attractive man of integrity I had believed him to be less than a week ago. Because, at this point, there was no denying that the hurt I was experiencing was much personal as it was professional.