I almost smiled to myself. This was the Derek I knew. I began brushing ash from the hearth. I had the feeling that they were all watching me. The silence felt loaded. I wondered briefly whether the label was sticking out of my jumper and fought the urge to check.
‘So … ’ Derek said finally. ‘To what do I owe this pleasure? It’s been … eight months?’
‘Oh, I know. I’m sorry. It’s been … I’ve been awfully busy. I have a new job over in Chelsea. Managing Sasha Goldstein’s boutique. Do you remember Sasha? I’ve been doing a lot of weekend work too. It gets terribly busy on Saturdays. Very hard to get time off.’ Alicia’s voice had become brittle. ‘I did ring a couple of times. Did your mother tell you?’
‘Things have been pretty manic at Lewins. You … you know what it’s like, Derek. We’ve got a
