‘Excellent!’ Meredith smiled back. She’d actually been quite concerned about Jo, but had never been very good at the touchy-feely stuff. No, that wasn’t strictly true. At school, although she’d started off as prickly as a cactus with Jo and Steph, she’d learned to open up and even administer and receive the odd hug. When had she withdrawn again? She remembered how scary she seemed to some of her younger colleagues, and that she’d actually fostered that image, thinking it made her more effective in business. In business maybe, but not in life. She’d seen that since she’d arrived in Bratenac. Suddenly the words of that Paul Simon song drifted into her mind, about being a rock and an island. Was that what she’d made herself into?

To Jo’s surprise, Meredith suddenly embraced her. ‘Your friendship’s incredibly precious, you know. Especially since I don’t have a family. My friends are my family, and by that I really mean you and Steph.’

Jo hugged her back. ‘And you’re an important part of ours, even if we’d lost touch for a while. The Meads Girls are definitely back in action!’

Jo spent the next morning planning some nice things to do with Sophie. She was sure she’d love the Bratenac market; there were the famous prehistoric caves to visit; and perhaps they could take a trip down the river in one of the famous flat-bottomed boats. And of course, there would have to be some delicious lunches.

Naturally, Sophie would want to see the château. She must talk to Meredith about how to approach that, given their negotiations were still going on. That brought with it the thought of Liam and his dinner invitation. She had a feeling that after the episode with the purple rabbit, that might never happen. On the other hand, he had seemed to think it was funny. But was the laughter because he thought her a sad, pathetic woman? Someone of Sophie’s generation might proudly proclaim their right to sexual satisfaction, whether it was achieved with a man or a machine, and, in fact, so might have Jo’s younger self.

Come on, Jo, she reminded herself as she took a taxi to the airport to collect her daughter. You used to be quite a gal, back in the day. You weren’t always so prudish.

Sexual freedom had been part of their credo as young women, along with equality and miniskirts; but that had been before life knocked the stuffing out of her. Somehow she had to get back some of that youthful optimism, even if she wasn’t quite so youthful any more.