‘I was Terrified of seeming boastful’

Samantha Brick, 47, a writer, lives in France with her husband, Pascal, 57.

I’ll always remember my best friend’s 30th birthday party. I hadn’t had a chance to go shopping for a dress, so I borrowed a glitzy number from a colleague. The problem was, it probably cost more than my bestie’s whole outfit. ‘what, this old thing?’ I said to anyone who commented on how fantastic I looked. I knew I was in danger of outshining the birthday girl,