‘Have you heard the news?’ Janine arrived at the cafe without her usual canine accompaniment, yet still managing to look like a dog with a very juicy bone.

‘Heard what?’ Jackie went on admiring Guillaume’s artistry in producing the perfect heart of froth on her cappuccino. The challenge was how to drink it without destroying his painstaking creation.

‘About Suzi? David Adams moved in with her last night.’

‘Blimey!’ In her shock at the news, Jackie accidentally speared the foam heart with her spoon. ‘My God – I was round there the other night and Suzi was in the Gulch of Lost Souls. In such a bad way that I ended up giving her a pep talk. Swore David Adams was such a nice man, he’d never leave Steph.’

‘Maybe he didn’t,’ Shirley suggested, looking smug. ‘Maybe she chucked him out!’

‘Over Suzi? She’s mad if she did,’ Jackie snapped, trying to hide her irritation at not being the first to know of this seismic shift. ‘Suzi was sure he’d stay. Steph should have let sleeping dogs lie.’

‘Not everyone could live with a spouse who was unfaithful,’ Shirley preached. ‘I know I couldn’t.’

‘I don’t think he technically was unfaithful, from what she told me, though there was clearly something going on,’ Jackie replied, secretly wishing Shirley’s husband might run off with his secretary.

‘Knowing Suzi, she’d have done all she could to get him.’

‘Well –’ Jackie shook her head at the stupidity of the world – ‘she’s got him now. But Steph’s made a big mistake.’ She necked her cappuccino and disappeared to see whether Steve had heard anything up at the château, where he was busy with all the refurbishments.

She found him up a ladder in the east battlement, replacing some loose tiles.

‘You shouldn’t be up at that height without even a harness on, at your age!’ she scolded. It really did look quite high.

He climbed down to see her. ‘Much you’d care if I topped myself,’ he scoffed. ‘You could get yourself a younger model.’

But marriage suddenly seemed more precious after the news about Steph and David. Jackie reached up and gave him a kiss. ‘I prefer ’em with a few miles on the clock.’

‘OK,’ Steve grinned back. ‘What’s up, then?’

‘I just wondered if you’d picked anything up at the château about David and Stephanie Adams?’

‘What kind of thing?’

‘They seem to have split up. He’s moved in with Suzi.’

‘That man-eater? He must be off his rocker. I suppose he found running that B&B too much. He was always dashing round like a blue-arsed fly whenever I went up there and she didn’t half order him around. I suppose he decided he’d had enough.’

‘So you haven’t heard anything, then?’

‘Not a thing.’

‘Well, keep your ears open and let me know if you find anything out.’