‘Have you met my friends?’ But she saw Nikos was in earnest, and stopped making jokes.

‘Maybe you could make everyone some coffee?’ he suggested. Penny took the hint and persuaded Marigold to come and help her.

‘Is he getting all Greek?’ Marigold enquired. ‘I was only joking about the pirate thing.’

‘I think he’s just concentrating on arriving as quickly as possible, because of Naomi. Maybe it’s best if we stay down here.’

‘What, in this glorious sunny weather? Seems such a waste.’ Marigold tossed her blonde hair. ‘OK, we’ll stay down here.’

Nell was sitting at the end of the bunk bed, with Willow and Naomi lying next to her. Penny started to make coffee.

‘I expect you know your way round the boat pretty well by now,’ commented Marigold. Before Penny could even reply, she added, ‘You do think Naomi’s going to be all right, don’t you?’ Anxiety suddenly shredded her brittle manner. ‘Oh God, it was my fault we came to Greece at all! Willow wasn’t sure you’d want us, but I insisted it looked such fun.’

‘The doctor seemed to think it was a good hospital,’ was all Penny could think of to offer as reassurance.

‘Penny . . .’ Marigold began, and then seemed to lose her nerve. Her hand went up to her face, silver bracelets jangling.

‘Yes?’

‘I did something stupid, mean possibly.’

‘Oh?’ Penny wondered what was coming.

‘I told your husband about you and the sexy mayor.’

Penny stared at her. ‘What the hell do you mean?’

Marigold looked at her feet in their silly silver Converses. ‘I sent him an anonymous message. I know,’ she shrugged, as if it were some minor social faux pas like forgetting to answer a party invitation. ‘I probably shouldn’t have, but I felt it was unfair on the man, the way you were acting. He probably won’t believe it anyway,’ she added limply.

Nell, sitting on the bed, leaned forward incredulously. ‘Marigold, you utter bitch, are you actually saying that you told Penny’s husband she was getting involved with Nikos? And you didn’t even have the courage to tell him who you are?’

Marigold turned her head away pettishly. ‘I said I was sorry.’

Behind them, the baby began to whimper and cough again.

‘Can you all stop being so bloody selfish?’ Willow demanded.

‘Sorry,’ Penny apologized.

‘I don’t think it’s you who should be apologizing,’ Nell commented in a low voice. She turned to Marigold. ‘When did you generously pass this information to Colin?’

‘The day before yesterday.’

Penny pretended to make the coffee, trying to process this information. What would Colin have made of it, and what had the bloody woman actually said? Maybe she was right, and he hadn’t believed it. He probably thought no man would fancy her anyway. But what on earth was she going to do now that he knew?