‘OK. Yes, I had. He had been behaving strangely at times. Out a lot during the day. Once or twice I thought he’d been drinking. To be honest, my fear was that he was becoming a drinker, not wrecking our business and having an affair.’

‘How exactly was he wrecking the business?’ Meredith enquired quietly.

‘He’d hidden two big bills, just hadn’t dared tell me about them.’

‘Who are these bills from?’

‘Ironically one from Steve, your builder. I’m amazed he hasn’t taken us to court for payment. Instead he’s been very good about it.’

‘And the other?’

‘From the tax authorities. Some rule had been changed and he hadn’t kept up.’

‘The French tax system can be very Byzantine. I wonder if he’s tried appealing against it or at least for more time. I think you need a good notaire, a local lawyer who really understands this stuff. I’ll ask around and find you someone and if you raise the question of payment, I may have to hit you with my handbag, OK?’

Steph smiled for the first time. ‘Did you ever see that episode of Father Ted where the two housekeepers go out to tea and both want to pay the bill? They end up on the floor walloping each other with their handbags. I wouldn’t want to upstage Mrs Doyle.’

‘Excellent. I’ll get on the case. One more thing.’ Meredith hesitated and found Steph’s gaze scanning her. She must have sounded weird, and maybe guilty. Very unlike her usual confident self.

‘Yes?’

‘I don’t think he was actually having an affair with this woman.’

‘And how would you know something so personal?’

Again a hesitation. This time Steph was concentrating one hundred per cent on her answer. ‘I came across them sitting on a bench. And then David found me and told me it wasn’t an affair. This woman just had a way of building his confidence.’

‘And I didn’t.’ Steph hung her head so that her hair drooped all round her face, completely hiding her features. A few seconds later, it shot up like a punchbag. ‘You mean you knew something was going on between them and you didn’t tell me?’

Meredith sighed again. ‘I thought from what he said it was all over and it would hurt you more to know about it.’

‘Well, you got that wrong, didn’t you, since it’s her he’s gone to? I think you’d better leave. And forget about the lawyer. I wouldn’t want to keep Fleur-de-Lis on without David. It might as well go bankrupt.’

‘But you love the place,’ Meredith blurted.

‘A bit late to think of that now. Goodbye, Meredith. Say hello to the others.’ Reluctantly Meredith stood up. ‘Steph . . .’ she tried one last time.

‘Go!’