Chloe stood up and stretched. ‘I love the sun,’ she said, stepping off the terrace. ‘It makes everything feel so much more cheery.’

‘Are you not feeling cheery?’

Chloe did not reply.

‘I suppose Neil’s dad has a huge mansion.’

Chloe stopped and looked Theresa in the eye.

‘Why on earth should you think that?’

‘I don’t know. Something his mother said, I suppose.’

‘You’ve met Neil’s mother?’

Theresa thought back to the dishevelled drunkard in her run-down ‘villa’ in Streatham and wished she had not let that slip.

‘Only briefly,’ she said. ‘In London. When we didn’t know where you were.’

‘They hate one another, his parents. It’s so unfair,’ said Chloe quietly. ‘It makes life extremely difficult for Neil.’

Theresa nodded.

‘Will Neil come here and pick you up today? To take you back to—’

‘You won’t get anything out of me like that,’ Chloe snapped, then clammed up again.

This was going to be a tricky encounter, to be sure. Theresa walked at the child’s side, rooting in her pockets for the front-door keys. She opened up and let them in.

‘I made you some pancakes,’ she said, pointing to the table. ‘Dig in at will.’

‘You haven’t told Mum about me coming here, have you?’

‘Of course not.’ Theresa was pleased that she hadn’t had to lie. ‘This is strictly between you and me.’

Chloe licked her lips. It was clear that she was nervous and plucking up her courage to say something. Theresa prayed that it would not be anything awful, like announcing that she was pregnant.

She busied herself with the kettle, hoping it would leave Chloe more free to speak.

‘Grandma?’ Chloe said quietly.

‘Yes?’

‘May I have a shower first?’

Theresa was astonished that this was the thing which had made Chloe so nervous to ask.

‘My bathroom is your bathroom,’ she replied, heading for the cupboard and pulling out a clean bath towel. ‘Take as much time as you like.’

As Chloe disappeared into the bathroom, Theresa regretted adding the last sentence. After all, Imogen had announced that she would be arriving in Bellevue-sur-Mer today. Who knew what time her flight would get in? Once landed she had to make her way from Nice, check in at the hotel and come down here – that was true. But it would certainly be better all round if, when Imogen turned up, Chloe was not here.

While the child was bathing, Theresa pondered on why, if she was staying in a millionaire’s mansion, she wanted to take a shower?