Megan gave her uncle a final kiss and hurried through the waiting barriers with tears in her eyes, not even daring to look back or she’d have sobbed aloud. Ben’s hand on her shoulder made her glance sideways. He wiped a tear off her cheek with one fingertip. ‘I like the way you care about your family,’ he said quietly. ‘We’ll pay their fares out for a visit and we’ll go back to see them.’

She looked at him uncertainly, then someone behind them said ‘excuse me’ and they had to move on. But the concern for her in Ben’s eyes comforted her, as did the promise to pay for her family to come out and see her.

Maybe she was worrying about nothing. Maybe things were really quite straightforward, and friendship and sexual attraction would be enough to start off a successful marriage.

And kindness. That never went amiss, either. Warmed by his understanding she settled down in her seat.

Singapore’s Changi Airport was massive, so full of people and noise that Megan, who felt groggy from dozing on the plane, kept tight hold of Ben’s arm as they made their way along in a buffeting crowd of tired travellers, all eager to get to their hotels.

They passed through Customs so rapidly she couldn’t believe it. ‘I thought they checked everyone for drugs,’ she whispered.

‘Only suspicious persons. And no one,’ he added with a grin, ‘would ever think you suspicious. Now, I’m expecting to be met.’ His eyes searched the crowd and a man materialised, wearing a driver’s peaked hat.

‘Mr Saunders? I have your car waiting.’

They were driven to another luxury hotel. Just like the one in London, it enclosed them immediately in a warm cocoon of fuss. It could have been the one in London.

A young man took their luggage away even before they had finished registering and a beautiful Asian woman ushered them quickly across the foyer and into a lift which zoomed upwards to what Ben called the executive floors. Their guide opened the door to their suite and left them with a graceful inclination of her head.

Megan moved quickly from bedroom to sitting room, exclaiming in delight at the view. When she went into the bathroom she called out excitedly, ‘There’s a spa bath. Oh, Ben, I’ve never tried one before.’

Turning, she saw him standing watching her with an indulgent smile and looked at him uncertainly, suddenly worried that she was making a fool of herself. ‘I must seem very naïve to you sometimes.’

He walked across to plonk a friendly kiss on her cheek. ‘I like it. I’m sick of blasé people who never seem to enjoy anything except other people’s discomfiture.’

He might like it, but she felt a bit embarrassed.