The duke smiled. ‘I have to apologize for the bad taste of that decoration. My wife is inordinately fond of cherubs. She purchased it at auction.’ He shuddered visibly. ‘It goes down well at weddings. But my wife will tell you about that later. Let us sit down and share a cup of English tea. The only thing, in my view, you British do better than the French.’ He softened the comment with another of his twinkly smiles and went towards the huge chimney breast to ring a bell.

‘What an old rogue,’ commented Jo in a low voice. ‘No man with that much charm can be genuine.’

Meredith laughed softly. ‘That’s new – Joanna the cynic! Since when have you been so distrusting of male magnetism?’

‘Since I met my husband, I expect,’ replied Jo, attempting an arch smile which somehow managed to look sad instead. She felt Steph’s arm creep round her and felt suddenly better. ‘Not that he had much, anyway. More of the “call a spade a spade” school, was Mark.’

‘We’ll just have to find you someone else, won’t we, Meredith?’ said Steph.

‘Don’t look at me,’ Meredith laughed, then added in an undertone, ‘I haven’t been to bed with anyone for ten years! On the whole, I prefer a massage.’

‘What a waste! Still, I hope your massages had happy endings,’ interrupted the duke with a broad wink. ‘Ladies, the tea has arrived.’

Meredith raised an eyebrow at her friends. Clearly, the duke had not caught up with Time’s Up.

Behind them, a maid had laid out a silver tray on a table by the long window to the inner courtyard.

‘Which was just as well,’ Meredith told the others later. ‘Or I might have had to slap the old lech. I can just see him as Maurice Chevalier singing “Thank Heavens for Leetle Girls” and meaning every word.’

Steph was delighted to see that Meredith was still militant.

They arranged themselves on uncomfortable gold chairs, hoping they weren’t priceless antiques that might collapse under their weight.

‘My wife will join us in a moment,’ smiled the duke. ‘How do you like your tea?’

‘I bet he wants me to say “Strong, like my men,”’ Meredith whispered to Steph. ‘Milk with no sugar, thank you, your Grace,’ she replied primly.

‘We take ours with lemon,’ he contributed unnecessarily, clearly feeling the situation needed rescuing.

A rustle of silks behind them made them turn. A vision stood waiting in the doorway to be admired before she went any further.