Penny could hear the anxiety in Nell’s voice. ‘Yes?’

‘What is happening with your husband after that bitch Marigold contacted him?’

Penny flopped down onto the bed. ‘The weird thing is, nothing. He seems to have disappeared.’

‘How, disappeared?’

‘Wendy hasn’t seen him for days. And he hasn’t asked her to fill the fridge, which he usually does.’

‘Where else do you think he could be?’

‘I need to try his club again – he sometimes stays there.’

‘What a strange world of women filling the fridge and men staying in clubs. I don’t get much of that, being single.’

‘Lucky you. But what I’m really scared of is him turning up here.’

‘Do you think he would?’

‘I don’t know. He’s a control freak who’s gone silent. Oh God, Nell, I feel quite sick thinking about it.’

‘Come on, Penelope, you’re stronger than you think.’

‘You don’t have a furious husband to face.’

‘We’ll all be behind you, remember that.’

Penny smiled. It was true. Here on Kyri she wasn’t alone.

When Nell got off the line she put a call in to the Piccadilly Club and asked if Colin Anderson was staying.

He wasn’t.

‘Shit,’ Moira suddenly exclaimed, helping herself to a veritable Everest of Greek yogurt. ‘Is it Wednesday?’

‘Indeed it is,’ agreed Takis, eyeing her helping with mixed feelings.

‘Then it’s my supper for thirty tomorrow night. Oh Jesus, how did I get myself into this mess? To me beans on toast is a gourmet dinner. Is Nell back yet, Penny? I really, really need her and she’s not answering her phone.’

‘She told me last night she might be back today, but I imagine it depends on the baby.’

Moira gobbled her yogurt and headed for the little supermarket to try and find a bribe that would persuade Nell to help her.

After fifteen minutes of fruitless searching, she came across a mother-of-pearl shell in a beautiful shade of opalescent blue. Clutching her prize, she headed for the harbour to meet the boat in case Nell was on it. To her enormous relief, she was among the passengers.

‘Nell!’ she shouted as her friend started to walk down the gangway towards the harbour.

‘Moira,’ Nell replied in surprise. ‘That’s nice of you to come and meet me.’ It then dawned on her what Moira’s real motive was likely to be, and she burst out laughing. ‘Nothing to do with your feast for thirty?’

Moira looked sheepish and handed over the shell. ‘I got you this. A keepsake of our time on Kyri.’