With an exaggerated sigh, Lucy got to her feet and followed me up to the balcony, and from there into the dining room. I shut the door behind us and she slumped down into one of the high-backed carved wooden chairs lining the long table.

‘Well? What do you want to show me?’

‘Nothing.’

‘You going to lecture me again about drinking a mouthful of wine?’

‘No.’

Lucy began picking at her lunch, pulling small lumps of white bread away from the baguette’s crust. ‘What is it, then?’

‘It’s about Alistair. I want you to be a bit careful with him.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘At least, when you’re on your own with him.’ This wasn’t coming out right. ‘What I mean is, you probably shouldn’t be on your own with him if you can avoid it.’

‘Why not?’

‘Just bear it in mind. That’s all.’

‘What are you talking about, Mum? He’s nice. He listens to me. He’s a trained counsellor, you know, like a therapist? I was telling him just then about stuff while we were on the loungers. He’s really kind and thoughtful and he’s good at listening to my problems.’

‘So am I.’

‘Not like him.’

‘Maybe not. But I’m your mum. Why was he putting suntan lotion on you just now?’

She shrugged. ‘He said my shoulders looked red and asked me if I wanted some factor 30 on them.’

‘I see.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘I just wanted to know why he was doing it, that’s all.’

She bit into a piece of the baguette, chewing steadily.

‘Why don’t you like him? He’s Jake and Ethan’s dad, and we’ve known him forever, haven’t we?’

‘Yes, but—’

‘What did he do?’

Tell her? Frighten her, freak her out? Make her embarrassed about her own body? Or just hope she’ll do as she’s told?

‘Will you do what I’m asking? Keep a little bit of distance?’

She shrugged. ‘OK.’

I smiled with relief and patted her knee. ‘Thank you, darling.’

‘But only if you tell me what he did.’

I opened my mouth. Closed it again. ‘The details aren’t important.’

‘You can do better than that, Mum. Are you saying he’s secretly a paedo or something?’

‘No.’

‘Then what are you saying?’

‘Isn’t it enough that I’m asking you to do something?’

She picked up the apple from her plate and took a bite. ‘Not if you treat me like a child.’

‘But you are a child.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Here we go again.’

‘Sometimes you just have to take it on trust that I’ve got your best interests at heart.’ I heard my own voice rising and fought to keep it level. ‘That I’ve been around the block a few times and you need to listen to me.’