Grace took back the painting and stared at it. ‘Yes. Very thoughtful. He knew it would mean something to me,’ she said. ‘Anyway, what did you do last night, Mum?’

Daisy jumped in and shouted gleefully, ‘We played cards, when Dad brought me home. And I beat Andy!’

‘Andy was here?’

‘Yep,’ Daisy said, then ran inside, calling out to Sri on the way.

‘He just stopped by,’ Tina explained. ‘Kamsi served dinner early, so Andy stayed and when Lawrence dropped Daisy back the three of us played cards. Just for fun. After Daisy went to bed, Andy and I had a drink and talked.’

‘Really? What did you talk about?’ asked Grace, glancing at her mother with a smile.

‘Oh, the old days. The changes here. His late wife. He still misses her, as you would, I guess.’

‘It’s been a long time since she died, I think. He has plenty of friends here, though.’

‘I know. But he can’t chat to them about the old days on the northern beaches, talk about how his mother is getting on and he feels he should be there with her, and he’s worried about his son. Young girlfriends don’t want to know about that stuff.’

‘Why is he worried about his son?’

‘Works too hard, Andy says, and seems to be in a social set Andy has no time for.’

‘It must have been nice for Andy to unload all that on you,’ said Grace, grinning. ‘I hope you didn’t go on about me and my problems with Lawrence.’

‘Oh, he seems to know all about that. He had dinner with Lawrence that night, remember . . . so he has Lawrence’s number. So does Johnny, he said.’

‘Really?’ Grace frowned. ‘What’s that mean?’

‘I think that’s why Andy dropped in to see you,’ said Tina. ‘Anyway, he said he’d find you round and about.’

Kamsi put a pot of tea and some toast in front of Grace, along with her favourite marmalade and the jar of Vegemite she’d bought at an exorbitant price in the local supermarket.

‘Thank you so much, Kamsi.’ Grace poured her tea. ‘I’m thinking Lawrence is up to something.’

‘I would put nothing past that man,’ Tina said quietly.

They ate in companionable silence for a while, enjoying the sunshine, until Daisy came skipping back out to them, now wearing her neat school uniform.

‘Nana, can you do me up, please?’

‘Of course, darling. Are you all ready for school?’

‘Yep. I just have to pack my schoolbag,’ Daisy replied.

‘Okay, I’ll get dressed and we can go,’ Grace said, finishing her toast and standing up.

*

The crew was already at the hotel, filming its grand entrance. Steve was directing some ‘guests’ as Grace arrived.

‘Hi. Sorry, am I late?’