‘Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that,’ said Grace. ‘We visited your family this week, Gede, and met your grandfather then.’

‘Thank you,’ said the young chef. ‘It’s my mother’s father, who lives in his own compound with his younger brother’s family. He has been ill for a while, but it’s quite serious now.’

‘When Gede accepted the offer to come and work with us, he decided to catch a flight here straight away,’ Johnny explained.

‘That’s right,’ Gede said. ‘I didn’t want to miss saying goodbye to my grandfather, even though I’ll have to make a quick trip back in a week or so, to tie up a few things at my old job.’

There were more introductions as Andy and Tina came to join them.

‘Sorry,’ Andy whispered to Grace, ‘I didn’t know they’d turn up. I was going to introduce you tomorrow.’

Johnny asked if they would like to join his party, and before Grace could answer, he had waiters running to add chairs and extend their table. Lawrence held out Rosie’s chair and without invitation sat himself between Rosie and Johnny. Andy sat next to Tina and Daisy. Grace was next to Chef Gede. Johnny signalled to the waiter to bring tapas and drinks.

Grace found the chef a delightful man, well travelled and modest about his great success. He admitted he was glad to be back home.

The two men sitting on the other side of Grace were introduced as the chef’s manager and a writer Rosie had hired to do a profile on Gede for a leading international travel magazine.

After the plates for their main course had been cleared away, Grace could tell Daisy was tired and bored, but she was being well behaved. Grace leaned across to her mother. ‘I think I’ll take Daisy home. You stay for dessert and a nightcap. We’ll get a taxi back, and I’ll text Putu and ask him to be here in an hour to bring you home.’

‘It’s all right, I’ll come, too,’ said Tina, glancing at Lawrence who was deep in conversation with Rosie.

‘Don’t worry, Mum, you stay. I don’t want to break up the party.’

Grace quietly excused herself, telling Daisy, ‘Go and say goodnight to Daddy. He’s going to his hotel.’ Then she walked over to Andy. ‘See you later. I’ll be in touch in the morning. Thanks for booking this. I’ll settle our bill,’ she began.

But Andy waved a hand. ‘No worries. I am sure this will be on Johnny, or the hotel can pay. It’s research, after all,’ he said, smiling.

*

Back in their quiet villa, Grace put Daisy to bed and settled outside with a glass of wine and her laptop to address a stack of emails.

One from Allison sent from her personal email address caught her eye.

Hi Grace,