‘Oooh, that would be lovely – thanks.’

‘Belles, surely even you can’t have created something delicious out of nothing yet?’ Andy laughed. ‘You’ve hardly set foot in the kitchen.’

‘Oh, just a little something I knocked up earlier,’ said Bella airily, rising to her bare feet.

A minute later, she tottered out of the kitchen, brandishing a huge glass jug of what looked like cold tomato soup in her right hand, while precariously balancing three bowls in the left. Andy jumped up to help her.

‘Let me take that, darling. I think I may be a steadier pair of hands.’ He turned and winked at Sam, who stiffened. Bella had always been so kind to her, there was no way she would let herself be chatted up by her boyfriend. But Bella laughed easily, and she realized that she was way off the mark. They were both just being nice, because that was what she needed. Sam’s eyes filled with tears again, and she turned away, unwilling to let them see.

‘Oh, Sam, darling, it’s OK, you don’t have to put on a brave face with us,’ said Bella, rushing over to hug her again and nearly tripping over the hem of her maxidress. ‘Just cry it all out for a bit, and we’ll talk it over a bit more in the kitchen as I make the next course. You must have some gazpacho first, though …’

Andy hid a smile. No woman likes to be told that she’s turning into her mother, but Bella really was getting more and more like Olivia by the day. The easy hospitality, the warmth, the assurance that everything would seem better after a good meal … Well, he wasn’t complaining; Olivia was a lovely woman.

Bella passed Sam a bowl of the stuff that looked like cold tomato soup, with ice cubes in it. Sam took a tentative spoonful, and relaxed. It was cold tomato soup, and absolutely delicious.

‘This is gorgeous,’ she said in her husky voice. ‘How d’you make it?’

‘Easiest thing in the world. Just put tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions into a food processor, whizz it all up with some breadcrumbs, olive oil and water until you’ve got the right consistency, then shove it in the fridge for at least five hours. I should really have made some croutons and little garnishes of chopped tomatoes and peppers but I thought it was better to keep it simple this evening.’

‘Such a domestic goddess.’ Andy smiled at her with love and Sam felt tears coming to her eyes again.

‘Are you two going to have kids?’ she asked, natural curiosity about two people she genuinely liked taking her out of her own misery for a bit.

‘Ooooh, don’t know about that,’ they said in unison. They both laughed. ‘Probably, one day.’ Again it was in unison, and this time all three of them laughed.

The main course was a salade niçoise.

‘Afraid I’m mixing my Mediterranean metaphors a bit,’ said Bella. ‘And I’m sorry I haven’t gone all gastro with fresh tuna, but tinned was all we had in the cupboard. Anyway, it’s far more authentic like this. You hardly ever have it with fresh tuna in the South of France.’