‘Open the window as soon as you get into the room,’ Dora counselled. ‘Then you can shout for reinforcements. And remember: you’re a wonderful woman, and he’s a lousy shit!’

Penny decided to take the stairs up to her room rather than the lift. She stood outside the door, got out the key and breathed in deeply, then put it in and turned it.

The figure lying on the bed rolled over and smiled.

‘Wendy!’ Penny screamed, half fainting with relief. ‘Darling! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’

Wendy got up and gave her mum a big hug. She was tall with attractive rust-coloured hair cut into a long bob, warm brown eyes, freckled skin and a large smiling mouth.

‘It was all a bit sudden. Martin got some time off work, and I thought what better way to use it than let me visit my gypsy mother on a sun-drenched Greek island?’

‘I’m so glad to see you, darling!’ Penny found she was close to tears.

‘Well, don’t cry about it, then. Tell me all about what you’ve been doing. We thought it was so wonderful you had your own money for once and could do what you wanted.’

This instantly made Penny think of Colin.

‘Has there been any sign of Dad?’

Wendy shrugged. ‘We think he’s gone to Portugal. Forget about him. He’s probably trying to spoil your time here because he can’t bear the idea of you being independent.’

‘Is that what Martin thinks too?’

‘Don’t get Martin started. He thinks you ought to have left him years ago.’

Penny hugged her again. ‘It is lovely to have you here!’

‘It’s lovely to be here. Can we get something to eat? It was a really early flight, and good old Ryanair don’t exactly run to free breakfasts. Last thing I ate was a croissant at Jamie’s Italian at six a.m.’

Penny linked arms with Wendy and led her down the corridor to the lift.

‘This seems a sweet little hotel. I wondered if I could share your bed?’ She looked quizzically at her mother. ‘Unless there’s another occupant?’

‘Of course there isn’t!’ Penny replied, thinking of Nikos and how she was going to explain their relationship to her daughter.

The others must have heard from Cassandra or Takis that it wasn’t Colin waiting upstairs, since they had tactfully disappeared to give her some time with her daughter.

‘What a great location!’ Wendy looked around her. ‘Right on the harbour, so you have the fun of watching all the boats come in and out, but far enough back that it’s quiet.’

‘Yes, we’ve been very happy here,’ Penny agreed. ‘The owners, Takis, his mother Cassandra and daughter Ariadne are absolutely lovely.’