They all looked at Penny, who burst into tears and rushed downstairs to her bedroom.

‘It’s fine,’ said Nell firmly.

‘Good. Good. Two keys on kitchen table. Here my number in case of emergency. You want I bring breakfast?’

‘No. No. We’ll go out for breakfast. Thank you.’

Their host backed away, still smiling until she finally disappeared down the narrow staircase to the floor below.

‘It is not bloody well all right,’ flashed Dora as soon as she’d gone. ‘It’s in the middle of a sodding car park for a start! There are probably cockroaches underfoot, and the whole place is more basic than a boarding house in Blackpool!’

‘The location leaves something to be desired, I grant you,’ Nell conceded, ‘but it’s clean and comfortable and extremely good value, and to some of us, Dora, that happens to matter. Besides, Penny’s been to a lot of trouble setting it all up. If you need five-star luxury, quite possibly there’s somewhere in the village where you can find it. Otherwise, just shut up, will you, and make the most of it. A skill you’ve probably never used before.’

Tension crackled between them as they contemplated ten days in each other’s company.

Moira put down the guidebook she was holding and tried to say something positive. ‘It says here there was a temple to Apollo on top of the hill just behind us. Did you know the Greeks believed he pulled the sun across the sky every day with his fiery chariot?’

‘Oh good God, Moira.’ Dora slumped down on a chair. ‘I think you’re mistaking me for someone who actually gives a fuck.’

‘That’s your problem, Dora,’ Nell turned to the small fridge and examined its contents. ‘You don’t seem to give a fuck about anything. Except possibly yourself. Glass of water, anyone?’

Penny sat down on the bed next to her bag, trying to work up the courage to go back downstairs. Almost without thinking, she’d checked her phone. There was a nice message from her daughter Wendy. Nothing from Colin. She’d already left three messages, but possibly he’d hardly noticed she was away. In fact, he’d looked quite gleeful when she’d first told him she’d be going. And of course she’d filled the freezer. It was probably only when he ran out of food that he’d notice, and then no doubt he’d go and stay in that club of his, ridiculous outdated institution that it was, and be fed nursery food by subservient waiters and drink too many gin and tonics with the other old bores.