Penny had a message from her daughter on her phone, and wondered whether to ring her back now or leave it till the morning. It would inevitably partly concern Colin and she didn’t know whether she was up to it.

She sat at the small dressing table and began to brush her shoulder-length hair. It was definitely going blonder in the sun. She stared at her face. Her mother had told her that since she wasn’t pretty she would have to be nice or interesting. She had never managed interesting; maybe that was why she’d gone for nice. But nice had meant a lifetime of Colin, who probably couldn’t tell her from an automaton as long as the fridge was full. In fact, if she stayed away much longer he would probably start browsing the net for one of those creepy sex dolls with blank faces and all orifices available, and write Penny off altogether.

But was she behaving any better? Penny breathed in and hid her face in her hands. What were her feelings towards Nikos? Wasn’t he the real reason she had extended her stay, much as she might be enjoying painting furniture and getting the boathouses ready to rent out?

Wendy had joked about Shirley Valentine falling for a hunky Greek fisherman, but wasn’t that just what she was doing? Was she just as deluded as Shirley, thinking she actually meant something to him?

She’d certainly had significance for him in the past, but she suspected that had been more to do with his disgust at his own ignorance than any passionate feelings towards her. She was a symbol of his decision to change. She thought of the dog-eared photograph he’d kept all these years. Maybe getting her to fall for him now would feel like some kind of payback. No, because she didn’t think Nikos was a shit, but it could still be a milestone marking how far he’d come.

‘You are not going to go to bed with him!’ she told herself firmly. ‘Under any circumstances!’

Feeling morally armed against his charms, at least for the moment, she rang Wendy.

‘Mum, how are you?’ Wendy demanded. Her daughter had inherited Penny’s niceness but tempered it with a touch of steel, which, Penny suspected, made her life much more enjoyable.

‘I’m having a great time,’ Penny replied. ‘Helping the locals paint furniture to put in these boathouses they want to rent out. Give them a touch of style.’

‘Make sure you have two chairs on the balcony, painted that amazing Greek blue, plus a little table with a bottle and two glasses! We all have that fantasy about getting away. In fact, I wish I were there now.’

‘How’s Dad?’ Penny asked reluctantly.

‘Gone quiet lately. I’m sure he’ll find something to moan about soon. How long are you staying?’