“Then you’d better work on passing your test,” Marcy reminded her.

“Give me a chance, I’ve only had three lessons.”

Accepting a top-up of champagne from Claudia, Andee said, “Let me know when the three of you are available and provided the others feel the same way you do, we’ll set everything in motion.”

“Thank you,” Claudia said warmly. “And don’t worry, I’ll be putting in orders for fabrics first thing tomorrow before I go to meet Cassie’s team. So, your commission remains my priority.”

“I’m not worried,” Andee assured her, and looking into Claudia’s eyes she added, “and you shouldn’t be either.”

It wasn’t until everyone had left that Claudia was able to say to her mother, “I think Andee knows something about us, or at least suspects it.”

Marcy frowned. “Like what?”

“I don’t know, I’m not sure.”

“You’re just paranoid,” Jasmine told her, carrying dishes through to the kitchen. “If you ask me, I think our little party went really well.”

“I’d agree with that,” Marcy responded, “although it seemed a bit odd that no one asked where we’re from, or what we were doing before we came here.”

“They know what Mum was doing,” Jasmine pointed out.

Marcy nodded pensively. “What do you tell Abby about your past?” she asked.

Jasmine shrugged. “Just that I was at school in London, and that my dad died when I was nine. Oh, and that Mum had a design shop. Other than that, it never really comes up. We’re kind of into other things, like studying, surfing, hanging out with friends, and in my case violin lessons, practice, and rehearsals.”

“So busy,” Claudia commented dryly.

“Tell me about it, and now you’re going to be as well. This is just the best thing for you, Mum, a new commission, a new house by the looks of it, so please don’t start getting all suspicious about things. Andee seems really nice, so whatever she said, I’m sure she didn’t mean anything bad by it.”

Finding herself able to believe that, Claudia smiled as she let go of some tension. “I guess I’m out of practice when it comes to making friends,” she sighed, and banishing the dark memories of Marcus that inevitably came to her mind, she added, “Time I learned to start trusting again.”

OUTSIDE ON THE Promenade Leanne and Andee were following Abby to the taxi rank, slowing their pace so as not to be overheard. “OK,” Leanne said, keeping her voice down, “are you going to tell me now why you didn’t want me to ask about their lives before they came here?”

Judging Abby to be sufficiently engrossed in her phone, Andee said, “I’m pretty sure they’re not who they’re saying they are.”

Leanne came to a standstill, eyes wide with surprise. “What on earth makes you say that?”