‘I can’t do this.’ I turned to Jack in a sudden panic. ‘I just can’t, it’s too much!’

Jack took my hand from where it was once again balled up into a tight fist, so tight that the knuckles and almost the entire hand was white through lack of blood flow. Gently he prised it open, gave it a gentle massage to bring the colour back before folding his own large, reassuringly cool one around it.

‘You can do this, Lily.’

‘I can’t. I really can’t. Listen to the noise! I can’t deal with all this. Please, I just want to go home.’

Jack shifted himself further in the seat and turned so that he was looking directly at me. ‘If that’s really what you want, then we can do that. We can ask the driver to turn around right now. But it has to be what you truly want, deep in your heart, and not just a temporary, and understandable, anxiety about doing something that is out of your comfort zone. If we go home now, and in a week’s time you still think that you did the right thing, then that’s fine. But if you think that you’re going to have even the slightest regret that you didn’t do this, then I think it might be good to just carry on for the moment. I know it’s scary, but I’m right here with you, Lily, and I won’t leave you. I promise. We can always just try it for a bit, and if you find it still too much, then we can get the car and go home. You’ll still have had a massive achievement, not to mention the opportunity to show just how breathtakingly beautiful you look tonight. It seems a shame to deprive people of that.’

I let out the breath I didn’t even realise I’d been holding in a nervous laugh. ‘Still got that silver tongue, I see, Jack Coulsdon-Hart?’ Finally meeting his gaze but still gripping his hand with a force that I think surprised us both.

‘It’s always nice to keep your hand in when you have a skill,’ he teased before leaning closer. ‘Except these days I only say it when it’s the truth and, believe me, it’s absolutely the truth tonight. You’re going to be the most beautiful woman there.’

Laughing helped relieve some of the tension making my body so rigid it was almost painful. ‘Now I know you’re telling porkies.’

Jack gently pushed a curl back over my left shoulder with his free hand. ‘Not at all. In fact, I’ve never been more serious in my life.’

I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, releasing the grip on Jack’s hand ever so slightly in order to strengthen it once again, silently telling him that I’d heard the words and appreciated them, even if I did find them hard to believe.

‘So what would you like to do?’ he asked, no pressure in his voice. The decision was entirely mine.