Isaac’s jaw had set grimly. ‘I wish I knew. Judging from Flora’s experience some people seem to feel that as soon as a dating site is involved then the rules of normal life don’t apply.’

The moment spoilt, they disengaged and returned to their respective rooms until they met up again at dinner.

When dinnertime rolled around Isaac left Doggo in their room and arrived in the bar in time to grab a beer. The apparently inexhaustible teens were playing an uproarious game of table football. While Isaac drank he texted Hayley to explain about Doggo being on his holidays. She’d never replied to his text yesterday and he didn’t want her to find out by turning up at The Three Fishes to walk Doggo on her day off.

Duty done, idly he watched a little table football. Emily, the youngest, seemed to lose every time. Charlotte, Eddie and Alfie were inclined to laugh at her but Warwick was kind enough to give her some tips, reaching around her to show her how to cheat a bit by spinning the controls.

Emily, managing a savage spin, succeeded in scoring a goal against Charlotte. Punching the air victoriously she nearly thumped Warwick in the face and Eddie and Alfie almost cried laughing.

Isaac grinned as he watched Emily giving Warwick an apologetic hug and Charlotte taking the chance to score a retaliatory goal, bringing howls of protest.

His attention was swiftly redirected when Lily walked in laughing at something Franciszka and Neil were saying, her plait looped over her shoulder and her arm cradled by its sling. Many of those in the dining area were men and Lily received several interested glances. Isaac rose to join them as Carola arrived. They sat down, the same man who’d checked them in earlier passing out the menus and saying he’d come back for their order. His English was better than their French.

The teens chattered and laughed and Franciszka talked to Neil about her childhood in Poland, which left Isaac with Lily and Carola. With an obvious effort, Carola smiled. ‘Sorry about barging in earlier. I didn’t realise anything was …’

Lily instantly went the kind of scarlet only very fair people could. ‘It’s kind of new,’ she murmured.

Isaac just smiled and asked about the Middletones’ musical programme for the trip, deliberately picking a subject that would include Carola yet gave him plenty of opportunities to listen to Lily, watch Lily and talk to Lily.

At the end of the meal the teens got up. Carola paused in her conversation about what time they might arrive in Schützenberg tomorrow to call out to Charlotte and Emily. ‘You won’t wander too far, will you? We need to leave at eight tomorrow.’

‘Yeah,’ they called back over their shoulders.