‘You didn’t need much help, my friend, just a few introductions.’ Unlike his wife Nick shook Megan’s hand warmly, keeping it clasped in his for a minute as he studied her. ‘I hope you’ll both be very happy. You’ll forgive an old man for saying how fresh and beautiful your face is, Megan.’

‘Thank you.’ She liked him on the spot. He had all the warmth and charm his wife lacked. She noticed that Cynthia’s expression had turned sour at her husband’s compliment, then the other woman recovered and started to smile at Ben again.

‘Well, you certainly made up your mind quickly this time, dahh-ling. I didn’t know you’d met anyone so – er,’ she cast a disbelieving look sideways, ‘special.’

He spoke quietly, turning to put his arm round Megan. ‘One day was all it took before we decided to get married.’

Was she mistaken, Megan wondered, or was there an appeal for help in his eyes? ‘No, it was one and a half days, actually,’ she joked, backing him up without hesitation. ‘And our first meeting was definitely – unusual.’

‘It was indeed. She rushed across the hotel foyer and tackled a pickpocket who’d just stolen my wallet. Quite a reversal of roles – heroine saves hero.’

Ben’s chuckle was quite genuine and made Cynthia press her lips together and eye Megan from head to toes, as if she couldn’t believe there was anything special about her. Megan returned Cynthia stare for stare and cuddled up to her husband as she did so.

Nick, who didn’t seem to have noticed the subtle undertones, clapped Ben on the shoulder, a familiar fatherly gesture. ‘Well, it’s great to see you two love birds, but if you’ve just arrived from England, you must be exhausted. We haven’t all got Cynthia’s splendid constitution. She arrived a couple of days ago, but she never seems to suffer from jet lag.’

He looked at his wife so proudly and Cynthia looked so disinterested that Megan thought suddenly, I pity him! I can’t see her being a comfort to someone who’s not well.

Cynthia took her husband’s arm, but it was Ben whom she addressed. ‘I’m very cross with you, you know. You didn’t even invite me to the wedding.’

‘I didn’t know you were in London.’

Megan was amazed at how straight he kept his face as he said this.

‘Oh?’ Cynthia’s tone showed her disbelief. ‘But I left a message for you on your office number and at your aunt’s.’

‘Things were chaotic as we were closing down. And my aunt must have forgotten to pass the message on. Anyway, the wedding wasn’t a lavish production. Just family and a few old school friends.’