‘Mademoiselle Sophie.’ Jean-Christophe suddenly smiled. ‘Thanks to your inspiration I have been working on my menu végétarian! Do you know Pasta Norma?’

‘The one with aubergines and tomato? I love it!’ enthused Sophie.

‘I have developed my own version which I think is very interesting using broccoli, red pepper and sweet potatoes. Like the original Sicilian version, I deep fry them in tempura batter before adding aubergines and tomatoes. I wonder if you would come and try some?’ And then he added, almost blushing under his designer stubble, ‘I would like to call it Pasta Sophie, if you are agreeable!’

Sophie laughed in delight. ‘I would be most honoured,’ she announced.

Steph proceeded to show Jean-Christophe round the kitchen and explain how the nightly menu worked.

‘Would you mind if we added a vegetarian option?’ he asked politely.

‘Not at all. We probably ought to have done that years ago.’

‘May I put it on the menu tomorrow, perhaps?’

‘Absolument oui!’ pronounced Steph.

‘I think you’ve made a bit of a conquest there,’ murmured Steph to Sophie as he left. ‘You can be the inspiring older woman he’ll remember all his life!’

‘Excuse me,’ Sophie pouted. ‘I’m only a couple of years older than he is! I asked that woman Jackie, you know, the one who knows everything, how old he was and she said he was twenty-four.’

‘That was a mistake,’ Steph teased. ‘She’ll tell half of Bratenac, including him probably, that you’ve got the hots for him. She couldn’t keep a secret if you offered her a million euro!’

‘Anyway,’ Sophie announced grandly, refusing to be riled, ‘my name will live on in my pasta. That’s enough for me.’

They heard the sound of a car pulling up in the driveway and peered out of the kitchen door to see Meredith and Jo jump out of a taxi, looking surprisingly cheerful.

‘Congratulate us, girls, but I think we may have had a bit of a breakthrough. The lawyer told us an American businessman almost bought the château a couple of months ago and pulled out at the eleventh hour.’

‘And why is that good news?’ Steph enquired, mystified. ‘Sounds ominous to me.’

‘His wife found another château she preferred, but I called him and he’s sending over all his documentation. I think this could really speed things up!’

There was a knock on the door and Jean-Christophe appeared. ‘I will go now and see you later. By the way, if you would like some déjeuner, my father has sent a local quiche and some salad which I have left in the kitchen. Goodbye for now.’

‘What a wonderful young man,’ Meredith beamed, delighted with her own choice. ‘Some lunch sounds perfect! He’s going to be a real asset to the place! Where’s David? Would he like to join us?’

‘In town for something,’ Steph shrugged.