‘Whatever you want,’ Nikos replied, smiling to himself. In under two minutes they were turning the vessel round to leave the harbour, with Marigold standing fuming on the quayside.

‘Well that’ll serve her right, the old boot.’ Moira clinked her glass with Penny’s.

‘It certainly will,’ Penny responded with a grin.

‘Penelope.’ Nikos shook his head in mock disapproval. ‘This is a side to you I have never seen.’

Penny smiled back impishly. ‘Maybe I haven’t seen it myself,’ she replied. ‘And don’t worry about Marigold. She’ll probably commandeer a cruise ship.’

Moira got out her phone. ‘I’m just going to text Dora that we may have found the base of the Venus.’

‘Kyria Dora, a word,’ Takis murmured to Dora when she arrived at the cafe for her early evening drink. It was market day and the cafe was full for once, mostly with fishermen moaning about regulations and prices in loud, voluble voices.

‘Of course,’ replied Dora. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘It is Ariadne.’ For once his rubber face looked deeply serious. ‘She is only fifteen.’

They glanced over at Ariadne, her almond eyes shining in her pretty round face.

‘Yes?’ Dora reassured. ‘I’m not trying to lure her away to a life of reality television and tawdry glamour, if that’s what you think.’

‘It is not that. She is talking about looking for the statue in a cave. Kyria Dora, it is not safe for her to be doing this.’

Dora nodded. ‘I agree.’

‘She will not listen to me, it is you she respects and looks up to. She told me the other day that her life had been as dull as a two-hour church service until she met you.’

‘Goodness,’ laughed Dora, taken aback. ‘I can’t say anyone’s ever told me that before. I will definitely have a word.’

She studied Ariadne from across the cafe. She was such an unusual girl, with her seriousness of purpose and her amazing knowledge of botanical life – so untypical of your average phone-obsessed teenager. She was like a girl out of time.

Ariadne, suddenly aware of her gaze, grinned at Dora, and Dora smiled back. Was it her innocence that so touched Dora? Her utter belief that the goddess Aphrodite had appeared to her and chosen Ariadne to uncover the mystery of her disappearance? And yet there was nothing of the mad visionary about her. She was as down-to-earth as the next girl. Dora must in future be careful what she said in front of her, and certainly ban her from further expeditions which could put her at risk.

She sipped her glass and breathed in the warm, scented evening air. What a delight this place was, and how warm and generous its people. If only they could just have a few more tourists. And yet, the irony of course was that with a real influx of visitors, the place might well lose its unique charm.