Marco emerged from the bathroom, towelling his raven locks; he really did look like something dreamed up by a Romantic Lady Novelist. At least he had a towel round his waist this time.

‘What else?’

‘Isn’t that enough? Oh, there’s this.’ He placed a page on the dressing table, a printout from the London papers. ‘Thought you might like to know. Now, if it’s not too much trouble, we have a meeting with the people from Barney’s.’

Marco whistled.

‘I’ll be ready.’

‘In half an hour.’

‘Okay!’

Isabelle ran for the shower.

The two men looked at each other, nodded, shrugged. Marco picked up the printout.

‘Who is this?’

‘Oh, she’s just some English celebrity. Famous for being famous.’

‘Never heard of her. Is she married to a soccer player?’

‘Not yet.’

‘Made a record?’

‘Once, a long time ago.’

‘Been on TV?’

‘Yeah, a lot.’

This seemed to clinch it. ‘She’s hot.’

‘More to the point, mate, she’s wearing Cissé.’

Marco grunted, and headed off to join Isabelle in the shower.

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Reality kicked in somewhere over the west coast of Ireland.

‘I don’t feel very well,’ said Isabelle, who had been nauseous and tetchy for the last few days in New York. Will was starting to lose patience, especially after a delay at the airport followed by six hours in the air. Even flying first class was not enough to improve Isabelle’s’s mood. He’d bitten his tongue so much it was frayed round the edges. Finally he’d had enough.

‘Just for a change, why don’t you NOT tell me about it?’

‘What? Oh, well, fuck you.’ She crossed her arms, turned to face the window, but couldn’t get comfortable. During the subsequent thrashing around, she somehow managed to give Will a dead leg.

‘Ow! What’s the matter with you? Is it the time of the month, or something?’

Isabelle grunted and scowled in reply.

‘Jesus, what a time to be trapped with a pre-menstrual woman. Do you need chocolate or something? Red wine? Gin and Nurofen?’

This usually did the trick, but not today. ‘Oh piss off,’ said Isabelle, and snapped the complimentary blindfold over her eyes before Will could be certain whether those were tears he’d seen gathering.