‘I love the idea of living simply.’ Nikos stood looking out at the dazzling sea, shading his eyes from the bright sunlight. ‘Just fishing and eating what you’ve caught.’ His glint of humour returned. ‘Unfortunately I’d miss lamb too much. Cooked on hot charcoal. And hummus. And spanakopita. Do you know what they are?’

Spanakopita. It was so recently she’d bought those for everyone in Piraeus, and it seemed a lifetime ago. ‘Yes,’ she replied, almost overwhelmed. ‘I know what spanakopita are.’

‘I’d forgotten,’ he said, his voice suddenly dropping to a hoarse whisper, ‘you’ve been here before.’

And without either of them seeming to move she was in his arms and he was kissing her.

The hungry fishermen descended on Nell’s food like wolves on the fold, to paraphrase Lord Byron. Instead of the omnipresent Greek salad, she had tried them out on baba ganoush made of charred aubergine with garlic, lemon and pomegranate seeds. But it was her chicken with sumac and lemon that was the hit of the day. Demetria had to promise six of the fishermen’s wives that she would get them the recipe.

‘How did you manage to get sumac here?’ asked Penny, when she slipped quietly back to join her half an hour later.

‘I always pack it. What have you done with your mayor?’ Nell asked, trying not to smirk.

‘He isn’t my mayor,’ Penny replied quickly.

‘No, of course, only teasing. Sumac is always useful.’ She delved into her handbag. ‘As a matter of fact, I take it everywhere. You can’t cook Ottolenghi without sumac.’

Penny began to laugh. ‘Nell, you are funny.’

‘Excuse me,’ corrected Nell. ‘But aren’t you the girl who packs PG Tips in her suitcase?’

‘That’s different.’

‘And a travel kettle,’ Nell pushed home the point. ‘And walks miles to get fresh milk?’

‘The day needs to start with a proper cup of tea,’ Penny replied.

Nikos had now appeared and seemed to be deliberately avoiding Penny and talking to all the fishermen instead. Clear evidence of guilt, in Nell’s opinion. She remembered it from office parties. You snogged your colleague in the stationery cupboard, and then pretended not to know each other so no one would guess. But everyone knew anyway.

Eventually he’d worked his way round the assembled gathering and very casually joined them. Nell studied him in this new light. He was certainly a very attractive man, especially compared to Charmless Colin.

Penny had managed to salvage a small piece of chicken with accompanying salad, pine nuts and a few ruby-coloured pomegranate seeds.

‘Be careful eating those,’ Nikos counselled. The flirtatious spark was back, whether he knew it or not. ‘Remember what happened to Persephone.’

‘What did happen to Persephone?’ Penny asked, faintly ashamed that she only knew the name as the publisher of beautiful books at home.