The scene could be very funny, especially as she was in an evening gown, sparkling at all points.

Wanting to get it right, while the camera crew were focusing the lights, Sally walked down to the water’s edge and went through the sequence a few times by herself.

It was difficult to do it properly without Eggy. She tried to put the stilettos back on. But she realised that when jumping on the stones without shoes she had laddered her tights. That would be fine later, but would look all wrong at the top of the scene when she was supposed to appear like any other guest leaving a posh party.

She jammed the shoes on and ran, or rather hobbled, at speed up the beach to the wardrobe mistress. A runner was sent up the slope to the cars to drive back to base and fetch a few pairs of fresh tights from the wardrobe wagon.

While Sally was hanging around behind the camera crew, Sophie from the wardrobe department brought a warm coat and slung it around her. Sally asked if anyone knew where Eggy had got to.

Everybodys’ shoulders hunched.

‘Nobody has a clue,’ said Sophie. ‘No reply from his phone. No call in to anyone on the crew. Wife hasn’t seen him since this morning.’

‘What if he doesn’t turn up?’ Sally shivered and hugged the coat closer. ‘Will they put off shooting this scene till tomorrow?’

‘They can’t do that,’ said the Third Assistant, pulling away from the gaggle of make-up and wardrobe girls, cradling a cup of coffee. ‘Tomorrow we have to start on the principals. Marina Martel and Steve Baxter. No possibility of rescheduling anything. It’s now or never. If he doesn’t show in the next ten minutes, we’ll have to put someone else into the scene wearing his costume.’

‘What about the lines?’

‘We’ll keep his back to camera, then post-synch. Get him in for an ADR in London or something.’

Sally knew that this would be a very sad way of finishing this job – having to do her last scene with one of the crew.

Plus she knew from experience that it was far easier to get your laughs – and this scene could be hilarious – if you were fed the cues by an actor, an expert, which Eggy assuredly was.

She walked slowly back down to the water’s edge. The RIB was being seen to by various tech guys.

‘We’re putting in some lighting, hidden by the outboard.’

‘And how will we communicate?’

‘We thought we’d tape a mobile phone to the console but it’s too noticeable.’

‘No point anyway.’ Sally looked around at the rocks either side of the bay, the craggy hill looming up behind the beach. ‘You lose signal quite early out there.’