‘Oh yes,’ Nicky nodded enthusiastically. ‘Except for Martin’s family. They don’t get on with each other, so they’d be better in a hotel.’

Jo suppressed a muffled giggle.

‘As long as it’s not too expensive,’ added her mother predictably.

‘How many guests are you planning to invite?’

‘Eighty’s the absolute minimum,’ Nicky insisted. Everyone looked expectantly at Ronnie, but she was obviously too stunned to speak.

‘The most popular package for French weddings is for the immediate family to arrive on the Friday and stay in the château and have a simple family dinner, while their guests stay in local hotels and B&Bs. Either on the Friday or very early Saturday, the florist arrives with the flowers—’

‘Well, actually,’ Ronnie interrupted, ‘I’d rather like to do the flowers myself.’

Nicky shot her an anxious glance.

‘I’ve always wanted to be like Mrs Dalloway.’

‘I’m sorry?’ Sophie looked blank.

‘You know. The Virginia Woolf novel.’ Ronnie cleared her throat dramatically. ‘It starts, “Mrs Dalloway said that she would buy the flowers herself . . .”’

‘But Mum,’ Nicky asked tactfully, ‘won’t buying flowers in France be really complicated?’

‘I’m sure Steph can organize it all for me. I’ll just choose them online.’

‘What about hair and make-up?’ enquired Nicky.

Jo looked at Meredith. ‘Good point.’

‘We’ll sort it out.’ Meredith wrote herself a note on her phone. She could see it was going to be a long list.

‘Now, you do know,’ Meredith chipped in, ‘that most couples don’t actually get married in France?’

‘Why ever not?’ Ronnie sounded quite put out. ‘I mean – what’s all this expensive ballyhoo about having a French wedding, if you’re not actually getting married here?’

‘The thing is, one of you has to live here for three weeks,’ Sophie continued patiently. ‘So instead, most couples have a registry office ceremony quietly at home and come to France to exchange their own very special vows in a gorgeous, romantic setting.’

‘Oh my God,’ Ronnie looked appalled. ‘You mean they make up their own vows? What happened to for better or for worse, in sickness and in health? I suppose till death us do part has gone out of the window. I hope it’s not all that frightful Mind-Body-Spirit stuff!’ She turned to her daughter. ‘I ban you from using the word soulmate, OK?’

‘I think you’re getting a bit tired, Mum,’ replied Nicky diplomatically. ‘Maybe we could just whisk round the rest of the château?’