By now it was lunchtime. Jo glanced into the Café de la Paix. ‘Oh my God,’ she whispered to her daughter, ‘the whole of the Ladies’ Luncheon Club is in session! I think we’ll find somewhere else.’ She quickly closed the door, but not quickly enough for Jackie, who was already out on the pavement.

‘Bon-jour,’ she said in her dreadfully accented French, somehow turning it into two words. ‘Who’s this?’

‘My daughter Sophie, over from England.’

‘Why don’t you both join us?’

Sophie surveyed the ladies through the open door.

‘That’s very kind of you, Jackie,’ Joanna said firmly, ‘but I want to show Sophie the new pop-up.’ The last thing she wanted was to be pumped for information about the château sale.

‘Just an apéritif, then.’

‘We’ve already had one, thanks. Enjoy your lunch!’

But Jackie wasn’t so easily put off. ‘How’s it going?’

‘At Fleur-de-Lis? Very well. We have a full house.’

‘Up at the château!’ Jackie replied impatiently.

‘Oh, you know, nothing settled. My friend needs to be very sure before spending all that money.’

‘I hear it’s a very good business,’ Jackie persisted. ‘Pity to miss the opportunity.’

‘Well, business is Meredith’s expertise, so I expect she’s well aware of all that.’

‘While she’s still alive,’ Jackie added sarcastically.

‘Come on, Jackie, you know that was a joke.’

‘A pretty tasteless one.’

‘Yes, well, humour’s a strange thing,’ Jo echoed Meredith, knowing she was on shaky ground. ‘We really ought to be going.’ She took Sophie’s arm.

‘What on earth was all that about?’ Sophie asked.

‘Apparently Meredith wound Jackie up a bit by claiming she was seriously ill – she says she did it because she hated how intrusive Jackie was being. Jackie fell for it, and it seems to have really annoyed her.’

‘Certainly a bit strange of Meredith. Who was that other woman with all the dyed black hair and cleavage?’

‘That’s Suzi, Bratenac’s femme fatale. Except that she’s from Essex.’

‘I know who she reminded me of!’ Sophie grinned. ‘Dorien from Birds of a Feather! You remember her; the ageing sex siren who could never keep her nose out of other people’s business.’

‘Sounds more like Jackie. Apart from the sex siren bit.’ Jo couldn’t help laughing too. Until she thought of what Liam had said about the bindweed he’d seen wrapping itself round David in the cafe. She had to hope that even if David was feeling a bit undervalued, he’d have more taste than to get involved with Suzi.

Except that taste wasn’t always men’s most obvious trait.

They walked through the back of the town until they came to the river path. The restaurant was already busy; Jean-Christophe gave them a friendly wave.

‘Salut, Jean-Christophe,’ Jo greeted him. ‘This is my daughter Sophie, just arrived from England.’