‘Absolutely,’ replied Jo, sharing a relieved glance with the others. ‘We’ll show you the salon where you may like to have your drinks reception, the dining room and the terrace where you can have tables outside. You just need to decide what arrangement you’d like. A top table? Lots of long tables, or round tables.’ Jo remembered the advice she’d read from wedding planners – If the parents had an acrimonious divorce, try and avoid a top table – and felt suddenly tearful. When Sophie got married, would she and Mark be reconciled enough to share a top table?

Sophie saw the sudden change in Jo’s expression and instantly understood. She slipped a comforting arm round her mum, and Jo almost wanted to cry more. Would the failure of her own marriage make it harder for her daughter to have a happy and successful one of her own? Sophie was so pretty that she’d never had any problems getting boyfriends, yet somehow they never seemed to last.

‘For the wedding meal we will give you a choice of four caterers. I’ll send you sample menus,’ Jo made herself sound normal. Crying in front of a bride-to-be when she was planning her wedding was not exactly a good sales technique. ‘And of course, a choice of wedding cakes.’

‘Oh, by the way,’ Ronnie dropped in nonchalantly. ‘Gran wants to make the cake.’

‘Oh God,’ Nicky replied despondently. ‘Gran’s cakes are like medieval weapons. You could fire them at the enemy instead of cannonballs.’

‘That’s only her famous fruit cake. Ask for something else. Madeira or chocolate. She’s quite good at those.’

‘Would you like to have a wander on your own now?’ Sophie suggested. ‘We can always send you any more details afterwards. The important thing is for you to see the château.’

‘One thing,’ Ronnie demanded combatively. ‘All this stuff sounds very lovely, but how much is it all going to cost?’

‘You’ve heard what we can offer, now you need to decide exactly what you want and then we’ll provide an accurate costing,’ Meredith replied calmly.

‘Well, one thing’s clear,’ Ronnie announced with a steely glint in her eye. ‘Your father is going to have to bloody pay. There’s no way I’m going to be able to!’

After they’d left, Jo took one look at Meredith and Sophie and announced it was time for a glass of champagne.

‘What are we celebrating?’ Meredith demanded irritably. ‘I was just wondering why the hell I’ve bought a wedding château when it means I’ll have to deal with the kind of people I’ve spent my life avoiding!’

‘That’s why we need a glass of champagne,’ Jo insisted. ‘To remind ourselves we’re in the happiness business and be grateful that at least in this case we know what’s coming in advance.’