‘Oh dear!’ Meredith found herself actually feeling a little sorry for the woman, despite her calculating personality, as she and Philippe picked up pieces of broken china and assorted cutlery from the floor.

‘Don’t waste your sympathy on that one,’ Antoine announced with satisfaction. ‘She is like . . . What is that insect that eats its mate after sex?’

‘A praying mantis?’ asked Meredith.

‘Voilá!’ nodded Antoine. ‘My son would be eaten alive if he let her come back. What are you doing here?’ He had spotted Amélie, his carer, arriving by the back door; someone had obviously already summoned her.

‘Come to get you, you old magician,’ Amélie replied. ‘Quite enough excitement for one day. I’ll drive you home and you can do some more of your tricks for me. And I’ve brought you a nice lunch of ris de veau,’ she tempted him with the local speciality of casseroled sweetbreads.

‘I don’t need more brains!’ he responded, laughing. ‘I’ve got enough already!’

‘Put some in the brain bank for another day, then,’ she suggested, taking his arm.

They both waved goodbye as they left.

‘Are you sure he’s not too much for you?’ Philippe asked Meredith. ‘He would have to live with us, I’m afraid.’ And then, realizing he had jumped far too many hoops, he blushed.

Meredith kissed him again. ‘I really like him. It’s like having my own father back, only what he might have been like all these years later.’

Guilt overtook Meredith and Jo at about the same time and they both went to find Sophie, who, wonderful girl, was calm as a moonlit sea.

‘It’s all going according to plan,’ she reassured. ‘Although you missed a sensational bust-up. Nicky’s dad moved the ridiculous floral arrangement off their table and when Ronnie blew her top, he calmly told her that as he was paying for the wedding he could do what he bloody well wanted. And then he tipped the whole thing over the balustrade! I think it’s the only time I’ve ever seen Ronnie lost for words.’

‘I like that man more and more,’ Meredith remarked.

‘Me too,’ seconded Jo. ‘Now, what can we do to help?’

‘All under control at the moment. Let’s go and watch the speeches.’

Bill’s father of the bride speech was predictably sweet and heartfelt. ‘To my darling daughter, Nicola.’ He finally raised a glass. ‘She was an adorable girl and she’s a wonderful woman. Martin, you’re an exceptionally lucky man!’

Thankfully, Martin looked as if he already knew that. His own speech managed to be both funny and romantic.

‘Maybe he’s the best kind of bet,’ Jo whispered to Meredith. ‘On the outside he looks almost ordinary, but inside there’s a beating heart full of romance.’