‘Good, actually. Better than I could have expected. Quite a few clients have come back to me, and various other ones have recommended me to friends and family. Lily’s brother, Felix, and his family have been amazing, spreading the word far and wide, and that’s brought in some extra business. I even have a proper, if temporary, office.’

‘Do you? That’s great!’

‘I do. Lily has a studio in her garden that she wasn’t using and was kind enough to make it over to me until such time as I can set myself up somewhere away from under her feet. Having somewhere to go really makes it feel like a proper commitment, like it’s really coming together.’

‘That’s great, Jack. I’m really pleased for you. I know the parents have their issues with your decisions, but I just want you to know that I don’t.’

‘I know that.’ Jack smiled. ‘I’ve always known that.’

I took a sip of my drink and looked out of the window to where the garden was artfully lit, a large double fountain sprayed water into the still night, the droplets catching in the beams, shimmering like little fireflies over the pond in which it sat. It was clear that Jack had missed his little brother just as much as Edward had missed him, although I doubted either of them would ever say such a thing to the other.

The sound of crystal being tapped by solid silver rang out across the large room, bringing everyone to a hush. The earl nodded to his wife and stepped back. He might have the title, but it was abundantly clear who ran things around here.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, we’d just like to thank you all for coming this evening to celebrate the return of our eldest son back into the fold and the comforting bosom of his family.’

Edward’s drink went down the wrong way and I patted him on the back hurriedly as Jack shifted his weight and looked down, waiting for a hole in the ground to open up in which to disappear.

‘I’m sure,’ his mother continued, ‘that you would all like to join me in welcoming Jack back and would love to hear from the man himself. Come here, Jack, darling.’ She waved regally to where Jack stood rigid, almost vibrating with frustration.

‘You have to do it now,’ Edward whispered. ‘You can argue about it later.’

Jack continued to look down at his feet as if weighing up his options before lifting his head, pasting on a smile and striding towards where his mother stood, then bent and placed a kiss on her cheek exactly as I imagined he’d been brought up to do. He fitted the image perfectly – the handsome man looking every inch the gentleman, not to mention sexy as hell in the tuxedo, but I knew now that it really was all an act, just as he’d told me all the bravado and womanising of his early years had been. It was hard to put on an act all the time. Exhausting, in fact, and I should know. I tried for two years after Mike was killed to pretend that I could get on with my life, live it in the same way as I had before, move on as people told me I should. But all it did was make me even more unhappy. It was like living two lives, being two people, one of whom you didn’t even know.