‘With the vineyard, the gardens and the wall, we’ve got total privacy,’ Rowan continued. ‘All the vineyards inside the wall are part of the property, sloping down towards those trees.’ She put Odette down on the tiled floor and ignored her complaints, pointing instead to a thick line of trees about two hundred yards away. ‘We should all go down there later to have a look: apparently there’s the most spectacular gorge beyond the trees, with a little path cut into the rock face so you can get down to the pools below. Purest water you’ll ever bathe in – comes straight down off the mountains.’

‘Sounds a bit cold for me.’ As soon as the words were out of my mouth I knew they sounded ungrateful, although Rowan didn’t seem to notice. What was wrong with me? I needed to be happy here, in this remarkable villa, with all the people I loved together for a week.

‘Below the balcony, on our left here,’ Rowan said, pulling me over to the left and gesturing with a perfectly manicured hand, ‘is the pool area.’

The infinity pool was below us, the water a smooth, perfect blue stretching to the edge of the terrace, surrounded by sunloungers and umbrellas. It looked incredible.

‘Wow,’ I said, for what felt like the tenth time that day. ‘It looks like something out of a lifestyle magazine.’

‘Over there,’ she said, pointing at a church steeple, ‘is Autignac, ten minutes’ walk away. There’s a bakery, a little supermarché and a lovely little restaurant in the square. On a Wednesday morning they have the most wonderful street market – lots of local produce, food and drink and crafts. You’ll love it.’

She pointed down at a tall, dark-haired man in a white linen shirt and chinos, talking on his mobile, pacing by the side of the pool.

‘Look, Odette, there’s Daddy.’

‘Daddy!’ the little girl shouted, her hands pressed against the stone balustrade of the balcony.

The tall man continued pacing and talking, raising a cigarette to his lips.

‘Daddy!’ Odette shouted again, louder. ‘Daddy! Daddy!’

He still appeared not to have heard, even as the echo of Odette’s call rolled away down the hillside.

‘DADDY!’ she shouted again, her voice so piercing that I had to lean away.

Finally he acknowledged her with a half-smile and a distracted wave of his cigarette before going back to his phone call.

I instinctively reached out to touch Odette’s arm, trying to calm her growing anger, but she batted my hand away and started pulling again at her mother’s dress.

‘Does Russ always have to be contactable for work?’ I rested my elbows on the parapet, the smooth stone warm against my skin.

‘Pretty much 24/7,’ Rowan said. ‘Money never sleeps – or whatever Gordon Gekko bullshit his boss comes out with.’