Page 112 of Friend of the Family

‘What are you doing home at this time?’ smiled the older woman. Amy realised that David hadn’t told her about her suspension.

‘I’m having a few days off. How was the drive?’

‘The A3 was busy, as usual.’

‘Thank you for coming. We should have some back-up babysitters, but Claudia has always been so reliable. Until the accident anyway.’

‘I’m glad you two are having a night out,’ Rosemary said. ‘Did you clear everything up between you?’

For a moment Amy didn’t know how to respond. She had a good relationship with her mother-in-law, but the woman was as sharp as a tack and it was only to be expected that she would ask questions.

‘Work has been stressful and we took it out on each other,’ she said eventually.

‘It happens,’ said Rosemary more softly. ‘Now, why don’t you go and get ready? I want to spend some quality time with my granddaughter.’

Smiling, Amy slipped away and ran a bath. As she wallowed in the bubbles, she reflected on the fact that although she had mocked this life before – the empty days of the trophy wife – right now she could totally see its appeal.

It was another hour before David arrived, his face slightly flushed. Amy felt like Cinderella as the car gunned away into the night, bursting into a fit of giggles when it stopped just a few minutes away on Westbourne Grove.

‘We could have walked that,’ she laughed as he manoeuvred into a parking space.

‘Not in your heels,’ grinned David, coming round to the passenger seat to take her hand.

‘So where are we going?’ asked Amy.

‘Suko,’ said David, looking pleased with himself.

Amy gawped at him in gleeful surprise. The pop-up Japanese restaurant was so mythical, she hadn’t even been sure it existed. Rotating around various venues in London, it had fewer than a dozen covers and was said to serve the best sashimi this side of Tokyo.

‘How the hell did you manage to pull that off?’ she said, squeezing his hand in appreciation. Japanese food was one of Amy’s great loves and David knew it.

‘A gentleman never tells,’ he said bashfully.

When they reached the restaurant, they were led to a corner table, where they made small talk, keeping the conversation light and frivolous. Amy couldn’t help but think it was like a first date and, on the one hand, that seemed appropriate. After everything that had happened over the past few weeks, it felt like a time of new beginnings, a time to put everything behind them – the arguments and jealousies – and just reboot.

But she swerved around any reference to Josie and Juliet as the whole situation felt too raw. She’d told David about Josie’s overdose and her visit to see her at the Whittington the night before, but she didn’t want to dwell on it, as it was painful to discuss.

‘How’s Josie, do you know?’

‘I called the hospital today. She was discharged this afternoon. Karen is in London looking after her.’

‘That’s good news,’ he said as tiny plates of food started being delivered to their table.

Amy nodded.

‘So you’ll never guess who got in touch with me today,’ he said, detecting that his wife wanted to change the subject.

‘Tell me,’ she said nervously. The last thing she wanted was more surprises.

‘Louisa Bourne from the train,’ he said, biting into a square of yellowfin tuna. ‘Apparently she’s been trying to get hold of you all day. Did Chrissie not let you know?’

Amy frowned. ‘She left me some texts and messages asking me to get in touch, but Max said I shouldn’t communicate with anyone at work.’

‘Max Quinn. Caution personified. Who’d have thought it?’ David put down his chopsticks for a moment. ‘So it seems Louisa is fully recovered and wants to take us both out for lunch. By the way, she’s appalled by what has happened to you. Wants to discuss everything when we meet.’

‘We should set that up then,’ said Amy, feeling curious about Louisa’s offer, but wondering if it was still too soon to think about work. She’d had the stuffing knocked out of her, and all she really wanted to do for the next few weeks was take Tilly to and from school and listen to Radio 4 whilst she pottered about the house pruning the cupboards.

David took a sip of green tea and folded his arms on the table.