‘We’ve managed to get two seats on a flight to Heathrow,’ crowed CeCe, bursting onto the terrace behind us. ‘Christian is taking us to the airport in an hour.’

‘Then I might see if I can get a last-minute flight to Nice and come with you. Don’t forget to write out the quotation for me, will you, Maia?’ said Ally as she rose from the table and disappeared inside the house.

‘Everything go all right at Georg’s office?’ I asked CeCe.

‘Fine.’ CeCe nodded. ‘I take it you’ve translated the quotations?’ she asked as she pulled out a chair and sat down.

‘Yes.’

‘Ally told me that she also had all our coordinates.’

‘Have you opened your letter yet?’ I asked. ‘No. Star and I have agreed we’ll pick a quiet moment together and open them then. But it would be very helpful if you could write down our quotations, put them in an envelope and give them to me before we leave. I’ve asked Ally to do the same with the coordinates.’

‘I can certainly give you yours, yes, CeCe. But Pa said explicitly in his letter to me that I must only hand over the translated quotes to the sister in question. So I’ll give Star’s directly to her,’ I said, surprising myself with the smoothness of the lie.

‘Okay,’ CeCe shrugged. ‘But obviously we’ll share.’ She glanced at me suddenly. ‘Are you going to be okay here by yourself, what with Pa gone? What will you do?’

‘I do have my work to keep me busy,’ I reiterated.

‘Yes, but we all know you were living here because of him. Anyway, it would be great if you could come to London and visit us once we have our new apartment. I’ve already contacted some rental agencies. Both of us would love to have you.’

‘That’s very kind of you, CeCe. I’ll let you know.’

‘Good. Maia, can I ask you something?’

‘Of course you can, CeCe.’

‘Do you . . . do you think that Pa liked me?’

‘What a strange question! Of course he did. He loved us all, equally.’

‘It’s just that . . .’

I saw CeCe’s stubby fingernails moving like a pianist’s on the tabletop.

‘What is it?’ I asked her.

‘Well, to be honest, I’m scared to open the letter. I mean, as you know, I’m not the most emotional person and I never felt the relationship I had with Pa was very close. I’m not stupid, I know that people think I’m brusque and too practical – except Star, of course – but I do feel everything inside. Do you understand?’

CeCe’s unexpected revelation made me instinctively reach out a hand to touch hers. ‘I understand completely. But CeCe, I remember you coming home as a baby and Ma being shocked because your arrival here was so soon after Star’s. When I asked Pa why we’d had another sister so quickly, he said that it was because you were so special, he simply had to bring you home with him. And that’s the truth.’