‘So it wasn’t all bad then,’ joked Dolores.

‘Dolores! For most of them, I just read out the descriptions from the wine menu, but I must have been convincing.’

‘Good girl! Fake it till you make it, has always been one of my favourite sayings… act confident and people believe you know what you’re doing.’

‘Then I was filmed having a so-called pretend date for the news report going out tonight on the six o’clock news.’

‘A pretend date?’ quizzed Dolores.

‘Yes, a pretend date with Roman, and all I want now is a glass of wine. It’s been really hard work today.’

‘Sounds like it,’ teased Dolores. Walking over to the dresser, she picked up the decanter alongside two glasses and placed them on a tray. ‘All I have is sherry.’

‘Sherry it is,’ replied Ella, watching Dolores pour the drinks then taking a glass of the dark-brown liquid from her. ‘Yikes, that has got a kick to it.’

‘One glass of the good stuff always makes things seem a little better. Now tell me, who was this food critic?’ Dolores settled back in her armchair and rested her feet on the footstool in front of her.

After Ella had told her story about Tiffany, she shared that later that afternoon Flynn had called her into his office to congratulate her on the way she’d handled her.

‘She is a difficult critic and customer. Tiffany has crossed Gianni’s path many times and usually she has the staff tied up in knots, but the way you handled her was a credit to yourself and to us at The Lakehouse. Your customer service skills were an example to the rest of the staff, and I’m delighted you are on the team. Keep up the good work.’ Ella’s impression of Flynn made Dolores chuckle as she reached for the remote control.

‘It’s nearly six o’clock,’ said Dolores, switching on the TV.

As usual the news was all doom and gloom. ‘And that is the reason I don’t watch the news at my time of life, it’s depressing. I think at least one day a week it should be law that only joyous news stories can be shared, to give the country a lift,’ declared Dolores.

‘I think you should run for Prime Minister, you’d get my vote,’ replied Ella with a smile, thinking Dolores really did have a point.

‘I think I’d do a better job at it too.’ Dolores took a swig of her sherry. ‘These politicians have no clue these days. They make up the rules, then break them themselves.’ She tutted. They watched a couple more reports before the local news was aired, Ella recognising the reporter as soon as she flashed on to the TV screen. ‘This is it,’ shared Ella excitedly, waving her hand at the TV and wondering whether she was actually going to see herself on the screen.