‘I don’t imagine his boat is big enough for it to be impossible for him to find Chloe. She’s not a Lilliputian, and his boat can hardly be the Queen Mary 2.’

‘She’s not on board now, though, is she?’

‘But Neil must know she’s there. He made his siren call and Chloe came running.’

‘And I suppose poor Neil is now with his father, getting an ear-bashing.’

‘Believe me, Mum, Chloe’s a headstrong and wily individual and, if you’re right, I’m sure being a stowaway would be a wonderful adventure for her. But now that their little game is exploded, I presume Neil will have to give way to his papa and come clean. She’ll be back here tonight.’

Theresa hoped that Imogen was right. ‘You’d better take my key and get one cut.’ She unhooked the flat key from her key ring and handed it to Imogen. ‘Make yourself at home.’

Imogen took the key and said, ‘I doubt I’ll use it, actually. I will advise the people at the hotel to be on the lookout for a dishevelled and smelly teenage girl.’ She looked at her watch. ‘I’d say Chloe will be with us before darkness falls. Roger Muffett certainly meant business.’

When Theresa arrived at the restaurant she found Benjamin hopping enthusiastically from foot to foot.

‘Total excitement, dear.’ He picked up the bookings ledger and displayed it. ‘We have celebs for dinner tomorrow. It seems unbelievable after the last time, but Odile de la Warr is making a return visit.’

Theresa had no idea what he was talking about.

‘Odile! The Odile! Oh lord, Theresa! Catch up! You were here last time, weren’t you? Oh no. You were in London. Well, anyhow Odile is huge and she’s coming back here to dine. Don’t you read OK! magazine? Paris Match? She’s the Queen of St-Tropez. With customers like Odile as regulars we could easily survive. Plus . . . she’s bringing a famous English actress from London.’

‘An English actress? Would I have heard of her?’

‘You’re certainly old enough to remember her.’ Benjamin put the book down and sashayed off in the direction of the kitchen. ‘William tells me she was in all those sitcoms in the 70s and 80s.’

Theresa remembered the name Phoebe Taylor, and would surely recall the face. Although she had never been a fan of sitcoms she did remember Paddy and Pat, a particularly poignant comedy series, in which Phoebe Taylor starred opposite Dermott Presley, a suave Irish comedian who had recently died. In the show Phoebe had played a bossy, posh Englishwoman who was on her uppers, but always at war with her neighbour, a working-class Irishman who had recently won the pools. The role was played vigorously by Dermott Presley, a beloved star.