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Fliss gasped. For an awful second, she had the crazy idea that Tara was going to say it was Kit’s, but then she dismissed the thought. ‘Oh Tara …’ she said, moving closer to her on the sofa, putting her arm around her in a comforting hug that Tara leant into.

‘It’s Harry’s,’ Tara whispered, her second confession hot on the heels of the first.

Fliss tried to hide her shock, knowing she needed to focus on Tara. ‘But I thought … Aren’t he and Katie …?’

‘We’ve been on and off for years,’ Tara admitted. ‘The thing with Katie is quite new … Oh, it’s all such a mess.’

‘Have you told him?’

Tara nodded.

‘Good. You shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.’

‘He made it quite clear that he has no intention of settling down and playing happy families. And neither do I,’ Tara added quickly. ‘He told me …’ She gathered herself, and Fliss guessed what she was about to say. ‘He told me to get rid of it.’

‘What a coward!’ Fliss burst out. ‘Is that what you want?’

Tara shrugged. ‘What choice do I have? Harry and I couldn’t have a child together, that’s insane. Besides, I’m twenty-six years old. I can’t have a baby! Especially not on my own. And it would kill my career.’

‘Does Bill know?’ Fliss wondered, as Tara shook her head vehemently.

‘No! I’m certain Harry won’t tell him. What’s he going to say? “Sorry, old chap, I accidentally knocked up your sister”?’ Tara laughed hollowly, before the haunted look returned to her eyes. ‘Please don’t tell him, Fliss! I know you sometimes see him at work, but I couldn’t bear it if … God, Daddy would be so ashamed of me if he found out!’

‘You don’t know that.’

‘I bloody well do! Especially not under these circumstances. However liberal and artistic he pretends to be, he’s old-school conservative through and through, Fliss, and me having a child out of wedlock would give him a heart attack.’

Fliss said nothing. It was true that she couldn’t imagine Lord Oliver looking favourably on his precious only daughter being a single mother.

‘It’s your choice,’ Fliss said finally. ‘Your life. Not your father’s or Bill’s or anyone else’s.’

But Tara shook her head once again. ‘No. It would never work.’ She picked up her phone. ‘I’ll ring the doctor now. Or the clinic. Bloody hell, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do!’

‘It’s fine. We’ll figure it out together,’ Fliss assured her. ‘Look, you can say no if you want but … do you want me to come with you?’

Tara swallowed, staying silent for a moment. ‘Thanks, Fliss,’ she said eventually. ‘But why would you?’

‘Oh, Tara – you’ve done so much for me over the years.’

It was the olive branch Tara needed. She looked up guiltily. ‘Look, I know things haven’t been great between us recently. I’ve been an idiot …’

‘We don’t have to talk about this now,’ Fliss said, though she was grateful for Tara’s words.

‘I’m not going to lie, it was a blow to the ego,’ Tara said, in a rare moment of self-awareness. ‘But I need to get past that. I’ve missed you. Kit, too. We should all hang out more,’ she said lightly, reaching over for a hug.

Fliss hugged her back, pleased to see glimpses of her old friend, the Tara she had known as a teenager. ‘I’ll always be here for you, if you need me.’

‘Thanks, Fliss. There’s just one more thing …’

‘Yeah?’

‘Please don’t tell the other girls. I don’t want Sally or Katie to know.’

‘I promise.’

‘And please … don’t tell Kit.’

‘I promise,’ Fliss said, and the two women embraced once again. Their fractured friendship was partially restored in the worst of circumstances, but Fliss wondered if the truce would last.