‘We’d normally be at our friends’ beach house in Florida for the summer,’ Heather confided, with the air of someone who was trying not to brag. ‘Since Harry was able to retire so early. But we couldn’t miss a chance to visit Aldermere.’

‘But enough about us,’ Harry said. ‘Have you met our Fliss yet?’

‘Felicity Hill.’ The blue-haired woman gave Posy an assessing look as she held out her hand, not unlike the one Rosalind had given her on her arrival. She appeared to be only five or six years older than Posy, but she still had that same condescending look down pat. ‘I’m the secretary of the Lettice Davenport fan club.’

‘You work with Marcus?’ Kit asked.

Felicity shook her head. ‘As little as possible, really. Marcus is all about the big events, the occasions, that sort of thing. But he leaves the paperwork – well, web work, mostly – to me. I maintain the group’s website, send the email newsletters, keep the blog up to date with the latest news, manage all the social media. All the stuff that actually matters to the majority of our members.’

‘Strange to think of all that modern technology being used to celebrate a novelist whose whole ethos is set in the 1930s,’ Posy said. That sounded safe enough. Knowledgeable enough.

‘No stranger than using all those cameras and technology to film a movie,’ Felicity pointed out.

Posy winced. ‘True.’

‘What do you all think about it?’ Kit asked. ‘The new film I mean.’

‘Well, it’s always good to encourage a new generation of fans.’ Heather sounded doubtful, even as she said it. ‘All this talk of a curse, though …’

Felicity rolled her eyes. ‘That’s just nonsense, Heather. Or maybe a promotional strategy …?’ She gave Kit and Posy a questioning look, which they ignored.

‘No smoke without fire, that’s what I always say.’ Harry folded his arms across his chest. ‘Was the same when I was in business. Had to look out for the faintest whiff of smoke. You mark my words, if that director of yours doesn’t get a handle on things soon, it’ll all be over before it starts. The fans won’t stand for it, even if the family will.’

Quite what insider knowledge Harry thought he had to make such a pronouncement, Posy had no idea. But then, in her experience, men of Harry’s type rarely needed any knowledge to believe they were experts on a subject.

Heather, sensing they were losing their audience, dragged the conversation back to the weekend at hand. ‘Harry and I have been coming to these conventions right from the start, haven’t we, love?’

‘Of course! Marcus was in touch with us as soon as he had the idea to hold them. We’re somewhat famous in Dahlia circles you see. A bit like him, really,’ Harry said.