‘You can take her now, if you want. Madame Dufrais has gone into hospital again and I’ve been at my wits’ end over what to do with Nelly. I could bring her stuff round later.’

The idea of turning up at Philippe’s restaurant with Nelly suddenly struck Meredith as brilliantly appropriate.

‘Fine. I should be back in a couple of hours.’

As she and her newfound admirer headed back towards the river, it struck Meredith that she hadn’t raised the question of adopting a dog with Steph. Maybe they weren’t allowed. Then she remembered the annoying red setter owned by the LeBruns.

And anyway, from what Margot had said, she and the duke had already found somewhere to move to and wanted to do so as fast as possible, so Steph and David might not have to put up with Nelly for long.

She took a route back down to the river to avoid too many comments from surprised townspeople, through a narrow alley that led to a small green area on the riverbank, almost hidden by the branches of a weeping willow. There was a couple sitting on a bench who looked like lovers; the woman, with a mass of black curls, had her head on the man’s shoulder.

Meredith decided to give them a wide berth but just as she was passing at a discreet distance, the man looked round and she almost gasped out loud.

It was David.

Meredith felt a flash of anger, not only on her friend’s behalf but also because she had just gone to the trouble and expense of taking on Jean-Christophe to give him and Steph time to spend on their relationship. It looked as if it might be a bit late for that. She had stopped abruptly and Nelly rubbed up against her, puzzled at the diversion, causing Meredith to pause and rethink for a moment. Just as Nelly was the symbol of her rush to judgement, maybe she’d better slow down and think. Wasn’t that the vamp from the Luncheon Club with him? Such an obvious type as Suzi had probably thrown herself at him and David, who she felt instinctively was a nice man, had just fallen for it all out of naivety. At least, she hoped so.

Her instinct was to slide quietly off, but then she decided it might be better all round if David knew she had taken in the scene as well as its significance. ‘Hello, David,’ she called out, making him visibly jump so that Suzi’s head jerked off his shoulder in a satisfyingly comic manner like something in a TV cartoon. ‘That’s where you’ve got to,’ she announced in her usual bracing manner. ‘Steph was looking everywhere for you. You’ll be in trouble if you don’t get home soon.’