NP and I sat at the bar next to the cheese counter at the Edinburgh Larder, cocktail glasses in hand, downing pink gins. The sophistication of the drink, however, did not match our footwear choice of white wellies. We were looking forward to a ‘behind the scenes’ guided tour of the deli a little later.

We were unprepared for the arrival of WB and KA in the shop. They seemed just as surprised to see us as we them. Unsure as to whether or not they would be welcome to join us, they quietly paid for their drinks at the counter and then hesitated before wandering over to our table.

KA’s initial greeting was most bizarre. She fired two questions at me. First, how did I enjoy sleeping in blood-soaked sheets? Second, how was my husband’s mistress? I was very tempted to reply ‘And how did you lose your manners?’