Margot, duchesse de Savarin, wore a beautifully cut ruby-red velvet dress with long sleeves and a Peter Pan collar and matching belt which were, if Meredith had any eye for these things, made from genuine leopardskin. A velvet pillbox hat adorned her suspiciously auburn curls. To complete the outfit she wore a slash of red lipstick, which Meredith instantly recognized as the colour worn by every woman who intended to make an impression, from Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Crawford to Rihanna and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Steph had seen the act before, but Jo had to stop herself looking on in open-mouthed amazement like the kind of medieval village idiot who would once have hung around the castle gates asking for alms.

‘Bonjour, ladies.’ Unlike her husband’s charm-drenched tones, Margot’s voice was clipped and efficient. She crossed over to them and took a chair. ‘I am sure you want to know all about the wedding business.’

‘Do we?’ whispered Jo, who had not been put in the picture about the precise reason they were here. For that matter, neither had Steph, but she intended to sit quietly and see what Meredith was up to.

‘Is somebody getting married?’

‘I’ll explain later,’ said Steph.

‘We had thirty-one weddings here last year. Given the length of the season, that is between two and three a week,’ announced the duchess.

‘And are your customers mainly British?’ asked Meredith. Steph had explained to her that getting married in France was all the rage amongst the younger generation.

‘By no means.’ The duchess shook her head. The small net veil that seemed to be part of the hat threatened to fall down across her face, and she swept it back with an imperious hand.

Jo found herself idly thinking that Leslie Caron would have to play her in the movie of her life, but perhaps she would be too soft; maybe pouting man-eater Jeanne Moreau?

‘A large number of English, certainly, but also Dutch, Scandinavian, Chinese and even American. We have had a number of Americans who come here and hire the whole château so they can get married alone.’ She began to pull herself up from her chair. ‘If you have finished your tea, I will take you round.’