‘Really! Why didn’t the man take them round to the kitchen instead of interrupting our conversation?’ she asked irritably.

‘Who was he?’ Despite the deliberately casual tone of her request, Jo found two pairs of quizzical eyes suddenly trained on her. ‘Just asking,’ she added lamely.

‘That’s Liam, our vigneron. He’s from New Zealand. We don’t compete with the great wine houses, but we do produce some wines that get starred in the Guide Hachette.’

Jo would have liked to ask what a vigneron did, but thought better of it. She would be teased enough for showing interest as it was.

‘It remains for me to show you the de Savarins’ apartment, where the new owner of the château will be living.’ Without waiting for a response, Héloise started walking briskly towards the enormous staircase. ‘The reason the duchess wishes to move is that the duc’s back is not what it was,’ she confided, lowering her voice. ‘He does not like to admit it. We explored installing a lift, but it would be ruinously expensive.’

‘Why not a stairlift?’ suggested the ever-practical Joanna. ‘They’re quite reasonable these days.’

Héloise raised a haughty eyebrow. ‘Can you see Louis, duc de Savarin in a stairlift?’

‘I see what you mean,’ Jo conceded. The Maurice Chevalier charmer they had met earlier wasn’t exactly the type for mobility aids.

They climbed the enormous stone staircase, carpeted with a richly coloured runner that was going bald in parts but still made a dramatic impression. As they reached the top, the duke suddenly emerged.

‘Hello, ladies! I hope you have enjoyed your tour. Welcome to our private residence. If anyone is to blame for the extravagant style, it is my wife; and also the sixteenth duke, who had an unfortunate taste for the rococo.’ He flung the doors of the apartment wide, revealing a vast pale blue room with enormously high ceilings that were decorated in elaborate plasterwork and from which hung no fewer than three giant chandeliers. ‘My wife’s feeling is, why have one chandelier when you could have several?’ He gave his most dazzling smile and bowed to let them all pass. ‘By the way, has Héloise told you about our resident ghost?’

Meredith and Jo shook their heads while Steph found herself glancing round nervously.