Louisa was about to accept when Marnie, full of brave resolutions to be friendly, came up to join them both and Christopher offered her a drink too. He certainly has impeccable manners, thought Louisa approvingly, but though she would have liked to have a drink with him she still felt sufficiently antagonistic to Marnie not to relish her company as well, so she changed her mind.

‘It’s very kind of you, but I’ve had an awfully long drive today so I think I might have an early night,’ she said. ‘I’m staying in the main house with the Grants, who are cousins of mine, and though I’ve already had a lovely chat with Isobel, I haven’t had a chance to talk to my host yet so I think perhaps I’d better go over with Isobel now and exchange family news with him before I go to bed. Lucky you,’ she said, addressing Marnie, well aware how unresponsive she had been to Giles’s social efforts at dinner. ‘I noticed you sat next to Giles this evening – I hope you enjoyed talking to him as much as most people do. He’s always fun to sit next to, so easy and amusing and such a marvellous host – so good about taking trouble with absolutely anyone,’ and she looked pointedly at the other woman. ‘I’ll have the drink another time if I may?’ she said to Christopher.

‘Of course,’ he said. ‘See you tomorrow. Good night then.’ If he was disappointed to have his offer accepted only by Marnie, who had been so uncommunicative at dinner, and not by the engaging Louisa, he was too polite to let it show, but Marnie, thinking he’d got landed with her by default, felt uncomfortable.

‘Night then both of you – see you tomorrow,’ said Louisa and went over to join Isobel, who had just said her goodnights and was about to take Catherine back with her to the house.

Marnie gave Louisa’s disappearing back a distinctly unfriendly look and felt her resolutions to be sociable dissolving like morning mist when the wind gets up.

‘Oh dear, I’m afraid I’ve just been rather horrid,’ said Louisa, not sounding all that sorry, as she and Catherine and Isobel walked across the courtyard, ‘but I hope I’ve evened things up a bit after that ill-mannered little cow was so rude to you when she arrived, Izzy.’

‘Louisa, that’s too bad of you,’ said Isobel, half-amused but aware that despite her charm and usual friendliness Louisa could occasionally cause trouble if she took a dislike to anyone. ‘Please don’t start a feud. It’s very kind of you to take up the cudgels on my behalf but I assure you I can fight my own battles and I’d much rather try to win Marnie over and get her to enjoy the week and shed her prickles.’