‘Bienvenue en France, Mademoiselle Sophie. But it is a French name, Sophie, n’est-ce pas?’

‘Yes,’ Jo nodded. ‘It’s even spelled the French way.’

‘But then you will be very much at home in France,’ Jean-Christophe smiled charmingly at Sophie. ‘I will get you a menu.’

‘The thing is,’ Sophie explained, looking up through her lashes in a way her mother had never seen before, ‘I am a vegetarian.’

Instead of the French reaction of shock and horror Jo had expected, Jean-Christophe beamed. ‘Mais c’est formidable! I am trying to persuade my father to try some vegetarian dishes, but he will only say that if people stop eating meat the landscape of the France we love so much will all change!’ He paused and added almost shyly, ‘I have been thinking of testing a pasta with roasted peppers and our local Tomme Périgordine cheese, if you would like to try?’

‘Like!’ Sophie grinned. ‘It sounds absolutely scrumptious. I usually just get offered a plate of veg!’

‘What is scrumptious?’ he enquired.

Sophie explained that it meant extremely delicious.

‘Bon! I will get someone to take over as waiter and make this scrumptious dish for you.’

‘Wow!’ Sophie commented when he’d gone. ‘He’s a bit of all right, isn’t he?’

‘Sophie, you’re sounding like a man! And what’s all this looking up through your eyelashes stuff?’ teased Jo. ‘What happened to your feminist credentials?’

Sophie just laughed. ‘I must have forgotten to pack them!’

The mention of packing brought back the painful memory of her embarrassment with the vibrator again, which, thank God, Sophie knew nothing about. Liam still hadn’t got in touch. Maybe that was a good thing. It was all right Sophie being a flirt at her age, but it was a different matter at Jo’s.

Jo studied the menu. ‘That sounds nice. Confit of duck and spring rolls in plum and hoisin sauce.’

‘Oui.’ Jean-Christophe had reappeared with the wine lists. ‘My father has been experimenting with our local produce. Confit of duck is a famous product here.’ He leaned down and added conspiratorially: ‘Some of the old guard are in shock! To use our famous confit of duck like this . . . it could bring about la fin du monde – the end of the world!’ He took Jo’s order next. ‘C’est tout? Is that all you would like?’

Jo nodded. ‘For now, yes. And two glasses of Bratenac sec, please.’ She leaned over to Sophie. ‘I’m assuming you’re not thinking of becoming teetotal as well as vegetarian?’

‘Don’t be mean, Mum. Trying to imply veggies are disapproving non-drinkers.’

‘And just to make your day,’ she teased her daughter, ‘Jean-Christophe is coming to cook at the chambre d’hôte three nights a week. It’s Meredith’s way of trying to give Steph and David some time off.’

‘That’s really nice of her,’ Sophie sounded surprised.