Huge thanks must go to everyone at Penguin who believed in this book enough to publish it and then made it happen. Particularly Kate Burke, Mari Evans, Anthea Townsend, Karen Whitlock, Debbie Hatfield and Beatrix McIntyre.
Many thanks to my wondrous agent Eugenie Furniss. I am truly grateful for all your hard work, words of wisdom and endless enthusiasm. Thanks also to the uber-efficient and very lovely Claudia Webb.
A big heartfelt and special thank you to Debi Allen, a force to be reckoned with who has championed me through thick and thin. (And I mean that literally. After having Lily I had to wear Bridget Jones support pants on my first job back.) You’re amazing, the most hard- working person I know. I’m extremely lucky to have you in my life.
Thanks, as ever, to all my fantastic family. Especially to Mum and Mauro who, after a hell of a year, still managed to come out the other end smiling. Also to Dad, Sally, Imogen, Isabel and Jessica, thank you for all your invaluable advice, time and support. Forget ‘the knights of the round table’, ‘the readers of the rectangle table at Madrid Road’ are where it’s at. Harry, you have to get a mention too of course, (despite the fact that you haven’t even read the first one yet) as do my darling Lily and Freddie. They haven’t read it either, though in fairness they probably have more of an excuse.
Thanks to my brilliant, funny, generous and supportive girlfriends. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you. Special thanks to those of you who helped out so much during the really fun no kitchen/washing machine phase of my life. There are probably a few stray pairs of underpants lurking in your machines to this day…
Lastly, thanks to my lovely husband Charlie. Even after all these years, you’re still my James Bond (though possibly in an Austen Powers type of way). I love you to bits and honestly don’t know where I’d be without you.