'Oh did I pick the wrong man to marry. He's offered to pay for the wedding if there is one.'

'I thought that was a good thing?'

Serena frowned into her coffee.

'It would be if it didn't involve a free bar that he can top himself at. I know all about his altruistic dysmorphia condition.'

'Pretty sure that's not the real term for it.'

'It's the technical term.'

'Elinor mentioned his new wife.'

'Liberty.' Serena hmphed. 'Idiotic name. 'He'll be dating a Destiny next, just you wait and see.'

They snorted with laughter.

'Cam told me that Marcus might be on the prowl.'

'Really? Oh well, it's none of my business.'

Bernie didn't know how her ex-husband would fare in the dating department. She'd heard enough about feckless, gutless Edward to know that she'd been lucky.

'How did things end with him by the way? Cam said that he lived with him when he was a teenager. I did wonder why.'

'Erm.' Bernie toyed with her mug.

'You can tell me to shove off if you want.'

'Well, actually.' Bernie decided to tell her. There was a big chance that they would revert to their former frostiness with each other but Marcus didn't deserve to be treated like the enemy and she didn't want to lie to Serena.

'He caught me with someone else.'

Serena froze.

'I know that was the last thing you wanted to hear but I can explain. I can't justify it but I can explain. Alex was a colleague.'

That didn't quite help. Serena was wary of Edward's colleagues, she had a right to be.

'Marcus and I were living separate lives for the most part. Had done for years. It doesn't excuse what I did and we couldn't make it work but it made me realise something about myself that I'd never known. I'd suspected things weren't right between Marcus and I but I couldn't figure out why. That affair with Alex made it so much clearer.'

'Is that why you've been living on your own all these years?'

'Yes. Marcus threw me out and finally signed the divorce papers I'd been asking him to consider. It was easiest not to fight him on custody. We didn't want to distress Cam.'

Serena felt crushed, knowing that her new friend had hurt her family in the way that Serena loathed. She felt like crying angry tears. She said nothing but Bernie knew how displeased she was by the way that her hands were shaking. She opened her mouth to say something but the door opened and the mothers backed away from each other. The chill was back in the air.