‘They’re gorgeous, though,’ Jemima said, looking at the strappy numbers Poppy had also brought down. ‘They’ll look stunning when you get a flash of them from that dress as you move.’

‘I agree, and I gather your beau this evening is your delightful butler.’ Martin studied the five-inch spikes. ‘He is quite tall, so these seem the perfect choice. You’re going to look amazing.’

I laughed at Martin’s quaint use of the word ‘beau’. ‘He’s neither my beau, nor my butler. Just as well, as that was a nice cup he smashed. He’d be out on his ear.’

‘I’m just teasing, love. I know he’s the gardener really. It’s all very Lady Chatterley’s Lover, isn’t it?’ Martin said, squishing his shoulders up in excitement.

I burst out laughing. ‘No! It’s not that at all! Nothing like.’

‘Shame,’ he said, grinning widely. ‘He’d make a perfect Mellors.’

‘More the other way around, anyway,’ Poppy added, taking a seat on the sofa and tucking her legs up under her.

‘What do you mean?’ the hairdresser asked, glancing up from where he was mixing some sort of concoction in a small foil tray with what looked like a paint brush.

‘Jack’s the eldest son of an earl. When his father eventually shuffles off his mortal coil, that title goes to Jack.’

‘Really?’

Jemima was listening now open-mouthed, a finger hovering over the screen from where she had been showing me shades of lipstick.

‘Yep. Not that he’s thrilled about it.’

‘I bet you he’d make a lovely lord of the manor, though,’ Jemima said, slightly wistfully.

‘I’m pretty sure he’d make a lovely anything,’ Martin added cheekily and gave me another wink. ‘Now time for colour!’

‘I think I’m going to cry.’ Poppy stood beside me, both of us looking into the mirror.

‘Don’t you dare!’ I replied. ‘You know what I’m like if someone’s crying, and I can’t cry in this make-up. I’ll never get it the same again.’

‘Jemima did put waterproof mascara on though, so that’s something.’

‘That’s true.’

Jemima had done an amazing job, as had Martin. My hair, having lost a couple of inches that were dry and needed to go, now looked healthier but was still long and currently fell in soft waves about my shoulders and down my back. The highlights he had added shimmered as they caught the light, making it look thicker and fuller. Jemima’s make-up was picture perfect, literally. I felt like I’d fallen out of a glossy magazine.

‘I look like I’ve been airbrushed! I don’t know how she does it, but she’s absolutely brilliant. And totally lovely, of course.’

‘She’s over the moon about that collection of signed copies that you gave her.’

‘Yes, I rather got that from the fact she burst into tears. I wasn’t sure if I’d made a huge booboo initially, so I was super relieved to see that she was smiling. I wasn’t sure what to do for Martin, but I didn’t feel I could give Jemima something without doing the same for him. It seems rather vain to foist books upon somebody when they might not even like them.’