But I was too restless to go back to sleep, and then I had an idea: I would get up and walk around to Nathan’s on the pretext of dropping off the pen he left behind (which I was actually going to push through his letterbox on my way to the station later anyway, and he wouldn’t know which train I meant to get, would he?), I’d catch him early and maybe off guard, so that he would have to ask me in for coffee at least … and who knew what might happen then?

Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I left a note for Linny saying I was popping out but I’d be back soon to pick up my bag, then I set out through the bright early morning streets, glad I wasn’t having to scurry off to some office for the day – even though I would soon have to scurry off to my own office in Shrimphaven and get on with The Orchid Huntress.

Excitement lent wings to my feet and I was soon ringing Nathan’s doorbell … but it was immediately evident that that was the only bell of his I was likely to ring, since the door was opened by Runaway Rachel, dressed in an insecurely tied man’s bathrobe over nothing and bearing that give-away heavy-eyed look.

‘Oh, it’s you!’ she said, looking taken aback, but probably not as much as I felt, although hopefully I didn’t show it.

‘I didn’t expect to find you here this early, Rachel,’ I said pleasantly, which was quite an effort, I can tell you.

She said with a smirk, ‘Oh, didn’t Nathan tell you I’d moved back in?’

‘No, I thought it must be dress-down Friday and I’d got the wrong day of the week.’

She frowned and twitched the edges of the robe closed. ‘Nathan’s showering. Can I take a message?’

‘Not really, I’ve just brought his rather swish fountain pen back. I found it down the back of the sofa and I was going to push it through the letterbox, only it looks valuable … and anyway, people get attached to these things, don’t they?’

‘Yes, and he adores it, because it was a present from me, actually.’ Then she smirked a bit more and said she was glad I’d called because I could be the first to congratulate them, and flashed the rock on her ring finger at me.

‘Oh, is the engagement on again?’ I said casually. ‘That’s very understanding of Nathan.’

And she said yes, he knew it had all just been pre-wedding nerves before, and I said that was one way of describing it, but congratulations anyway.

Then Nathan’s voice called down the hall: ‘Who is it, Rachel?’

I said quickly, ‘I’ll let you get back to it, then. I’m just on my way to see Sergei.’