There’s a real satisfaction that comes from knowing Aiden and I have always worked together as a team – well, up until now at least. But what I hadn’t quite grasped was that there are so many people whose childhood, tragically, scars them for life. Sometimes, through no fault of their own, or the people looking after them. That’s humbling because my family are so very lucky in many ways and maybe we tend to take that for granted.

‘Hey, am I interrupting anything?’ Nico appears in the doorway of the day room, dressed in that tired, old, knitted jumper that looks like something not even worthy of a jumble sale.

‘No. Just finished a call.’

‘Ah, I wondered why you were in here all on your own and didn’t pile into the minibus with everyone else.’

‘I wasn’t being unsociable, but Saturday mornings always leave me feeling a bit sad.’

‘Actually, I’ve come to take you out to lunch. No arguments. It’s my treat and I’ve booked a table in my favourite restaurant on the outskirts of Figanières. Bring a coat and wear some comfortable shoes as there’s a bit of a walk involved; it could get a little windy.’

I gasp and splutter. ‘Are… are we celebrating something?’

He looks at me with a gleam in his eye. ‘We are. All will be revealed. Fifteen minutes?’

‘Fifteen minutes.’

I pack up my things and march off to my room. A quick brush of my hair, change of jumper, squirt of perfume and a slick of lipstick and I’m done. But when I slip into the old Citroën, I notice that Nico has made an effort. He’s wearing cologne and a shirt, beneath his padded jacket.

‘Wow. This must be a momentous occasion,’ I remark, wishing I’d changed out of my jeans. Admittedly, they are my dressy weekend jeans, not the colourful, paint-splattered ones, or my working leggings.

‘It is and I will reveal all when we arrive at Chez Lucien. It’s up in the hills, on the slopes of the village. I think you’ll enjoy the scenic drive and you get a much better view of the mountains beyond, the higher we climb.’

The Provence-Alpes region is referred to as the gateway to the Côte d’Azur. Obviously, people celebrate the beautiful sea views of the renowned French Riviera, but inland, and just beyond le Bois-Saint-Vernon, the deeply wooded mountains are truly a sight to behold. While the forest around the château was glorious when it was wearing its autumnal coat, now it’s looking sparse in places. Only the pockets of evergreen trees give a flash of colour.