But now, suddenly, she didn't feel comfortable with him any more and she didn't understand why. She just wanted to go back to the way things had been before.

Here he was now. Bella felt her nerves crisp as Josh came up to her in the marquee, and she took a steadying slug of champagne. He was the same old Josh he had always been. It was nonsense to think that anything had changed between them.

'Are you OK?' he said, eyeing her with concern.

'Of course. Why?'

'You seem a bit tense, that's all. I wondered if you and Will might be having problems.'

'I don't know why you're so determined that my relationship with Will is a disaster,' said Bella, annoyed with him for hitting the nail so unerringly on the head. 'What could be wrong? Will's fantastic. He's incredibly attractive, generous, clever, successful…'

And he was, she reminded herself with a kind of desperation. She had been mad about Will when she first met him. Why couldn't she feel like that again?

'I'm just missing him while he's away,' she offered, hoping that the explanation would stop Josh probing any further. 'And the house feels very empty without Kate now.'

'It must do.' To her relief, Josh allowed himself to be diverted. 'Are you going to stay there on your own?'

'I think so. I only pay a token rent as it is. Phoebe doesn't need the money-one of the many advantages of having a rich husband!-so I can afford to have the house to myself.'

'I'm surprised you don't move in with Will if he's as perfect as you say he is,' sniffed Josh. 'Doesn't he want to "commit"?' he added, hooking sarcastic inverted commas around the word.