Before Kathryn had managed to eat, le Mesurier sidled up to her, placed his lips very close to her ear and whispered something, then leaned back with a twisted smile. I didn’t need to hear the words to know what he was suggesting. It was virtually a repeat performance of what had happened at The Divers Inn. The girl took a step away from him and now the kitchen wall separated her from me so I couldn’t see her response. But whatever it was, le Mesurier seemed amused. He took another swig of champagne, then lurched into the dining room and another group of guests.

This time I couldn’t just let it go. Despite my misgivings, I went into the kitchen – ultra-modern, of course, with gleaming surfaces and brand-new equipment – to find Kathryn at the sink, plunging glasses into foamy water. There were twenty or thirty lined up on one side. ‘Excuse me,’ I said. ‘Are you all right?’

She spoke with her back to me. ‘I’m fine, thank you.’

‘It’s just that I saw what happened . . .’

‘Nothing happened.’ She turned round and I saw at once the tears of indignation pricking at her eyes. ‘Honestly. Thank you for being concerned, but it really doesn’t matter.’

‘He shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it . . . behaving that way. I know it’s his house and his party. But even so—’

‘Please! Don’t say anything.’ She sounded almost afraid. ‘I don’t want to lose my job. He didn’t actually do anything. He’s just a dirty old man. Like they all are.’ She turned back to the sink. ‘I need to get these glasses done. We stop serving at ten.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘Well, I’m sorry . . .’

Feeling very uncomfortable, I walked out of the kitchen and went in search of Hawthorne. I got the sense that the party had developed a stale, sated quality, the sort that comes after two hours of overindulgence. It was time to move on. The Channelers had launched into a jazzed-up version of The Blue Danube, but they were sweating and out of sync. There were plates of half-eaten food everywhere. I looked for Hawthorne in the sun lounge and the living room. Then I went out onto the patio. It was always possible that he had gone out for a smoke.