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‘I’m not sure about that, he feels like an enigma to me most of the time,’ Sally said, piling jam and cream on top of her scone and taking a bite. ‘Mmm, these are delicious! So what’s Harry up to at the moment?’

‘He’s in pre-production for his next film. It’s about the Second World War and it’s based on that novel that was at number one forever, The Stolen Light – Harry snapped up the movie rights. They’ve cast the leads, but they’re still working on some of the supporting roles. He said Tara’s badgering him for a part.’ Katie rolled her eyes.

‘Oh, please get him to cast her – that would get her out of my hair for a bit. I’d rather have her crowing than carping. It’s seriously draining!’ Sally laughed.

‘He said he’s trying to find a way to let her down gently, so you might be stuck with her for a little longer, I’m afraid. You have the patience of a saint, you know that, Sally?’

‘What choice have I got? She’s an Oliver.’

‘She’s always been such a drama queen. Even when we were living together, she was always obsessing over some guy she fancied, or bitching about one of the other actresses, or being jealous of her friends. I suppose she has ended up in the perfect profession – even if she’s a bit C-list these days.’

Sally thought that C-list would be an improvement on where Tara was now, which was a lot farther down the alphabet, but she resisted the temptation to join in and stayed silent; although Tara was undoubtedly extremely difficult, as Bill’s sister she deserved Sally’s loyalty.

‘How’s everything with you and Bill?’ Katie asked, tactfully changing the subject.

Sally made a face. ‘The same as always, I guess. He’s been railing against the world more than ever recently. I’m not sure if it’s a midlife crisis or something else. I know he’s secretly disappointed with where he’s ended up in life, but at the same time he can’t be bothered to put the effort into work. He’s barely in the office, seems to dial into most meetings from the pub and his drinking’s worse than ever. You know he always feels he should have ended up in front of the camera, don’t you?’

‘Does he?’ Fliss said, sounding surprised. ‘I wouldn’t have thought that was Bill’s natural arena at all.’

‘Well, clearly it’s not,’ Sally said without thinking, then put a hand over her mouth, feeling disloyal as Katie laughed. ‘He always had much greater ambitions than where he is now, but I understand it must be hard, being Neville’s son, trying to live up to his reputation. Did I ever tell you, Fliss, that after you moved to the States, Bill tried to get your job?’

Fliss’s jaw dropped in shock. ‘No! I had no idea. But he’d never done any work in front of the camera. I’m surprised.’

‘He’d seen you do it, and he thought it would be easy, that anyone could manage it,’ Sally said matter-of-factly. ‘They wouldn’t even screen-test him. It wasn’t long after that that he left LBTV. I assumed he’d forgotten all about it, but lately he keeps talking about it again when he’s had a few drinks, going on about what could have been! Like I say, midlife crisis,’ she chuckled, but Fliss detected some real anxiety behind the outward laughter.

‘Bill’s never been the easiest – another halo for you to wear,’ Katie sympathised. ‘We were all surprised that you two ended up together – Bill was so clearly punching above his weight.’

‘I don’t know about that,’ Sally said modestly. ‘I know he has a tricky side, but he can be sweet too. He was always very caring and affectionate with me. I felt like he let me in – as if he let his guard down with me and allowed me to see a side to him that no one else saw. And I loved him for that. But recently it feels as if he’s got his guard up with me too. That there’s something bothering him, and he’s hiding something from me …’ She frowned as she ate the last mouthful of her scone, brushing the crumbs from her fingertips onto the blue-and-white Wedgewood plate. ‘I just don’t know what.’

‘All the nice bits of Bill are the ones that you have brought out in him,’ Katie said, frowning. ‘Have you asked him about it?’

‘He says that everything’s fine. That nothing’s wrong and to mind my own business. I know him too well, though …’

Sally topped up their cups with the last of the tea.

‘You know, Harry’s been acting strangely recently too,’ Katie admitted. ‘I can’t quite put my finger on why, exactly. We’ve always lived independently, both of us busy with work, or with the girls. But lately … Just like you said about Bill – it feels as though he’s hiding something.’

‘Like what?’

‘Well …’ Katie stared into the distance, wondering whether to share her suspicions with Sally. ‘I’m worried he’s having an affair.’

Sally snorted. ‘Don’t be ridiculous! He adores you.’

Katie smiled sadly. ‘I’m not so sure anymore. And you know what a playboy he was in his youth. A leopard doesn’t change its spots.’

‘What makes you think he is?’ Fliss asked.

‘All the usual clichés. Furtive phone calls, sudden weekend working, gifts when I’m not expecting them. He’s always been good at protecting family time, but now …’

‘Oh, Katie, I’m sure you’re wrong. Some men like to put it about a bit when they’re younger, but then they grow up. Harry’s completely changed from how he was in his twenties. You totally tamed him, everyone knows that,’ Sally assured her.

‘I don’t see it that way,’ Katie continued. ‘I’m not even sure he was ready to settle down. I think we both panicked – I’d been working so hard on my career, he’d been playing the field. It was like musical chairs – then one weekend when we’d hit our thirties, we turned around and realised everyone else had paired up and we were the only ones left standing.’

‘That’s not true – everyone could see you were in love. Both of you,’ Sally insisted.

‘Oh, I’m sure we were at the time. But I don’t know whether it was enough to sustain a lifelong marriage. It was wonderful having someone to spend lazy Sunday mornings with, exotic holidays and skiing trips to Chamonix. Obviously, we knew each other well, but he must have slept with dozens – maybe even hundreds – of women before we were properly together. Do you remember, he even had that on-off fling with Tara when we were in our twenties?’

‘Who didn’t have a fling with Tara back then?’ Fliss said, the comment popping out before she could help herself, and the others laughed, a little guiltily. ‘I just meant, we all had our wild moments when we were younger, but then we grew up and settled down.’