‘You look absolutely delicious. Edible!’

‘Thank you. I feel lovely. I only had my kimono …’

‘We used to call that a camisole, I believe. Awful name. It was my mother’s. She was tiny like you, adored broderie Anglaise … and that red silk round your waist makes it so “chic”. You’ve tied such a pretty bow-thing.’

‘And my airplane slide?’

‘Divine … don’t lose it.’

‘I’ve fixed it tightly. And Marcus looks lovely too, don’t you think?’

‘Does he think so? He didn’t mind, did he? I simply couldn’t resist them.’

‘Jolly glad you didn’t.’ He was at the top of the steps, came slowly down towards them in tight yellow dungarees with bib and braces, a white T-shirt under.

‘Enter the Banana King. Do I turn you on?’

‘You didn’t mind? I mean, if you hate them do say. Change.’

‘Mad about them, and me in them. Look all right? You haven’t said yet?’

‘Scrumptious! Have a glass of champagne, for courage. This is the worst part, just before it all begins. Everything’s ready, calm, waiting; like a stage before the curtain goes up, you know? Will it work? Will it be a flop, a success, a non-starter? One never knows. I should be used to it by now, but I’m not. Oh! Will it be a happy day? A success? Better than last time? One simply can’t tell, one just prays. Most of all I want you both to love it; my pretties. And you are.’

Marcus raised his glass. ‘It’s nearly noon. Good luck, and thank you, from us.’

‘Now,’ said Cuckoo, replacing her glass. ‘We’ll go up. Just remember what I told you: be awfully sweet to the Duc d’Auribeau, he’s almost ninety, blind as a bat, was a very famous gardener, and had the most lovely house in Tangier with a heavenly water-garden and a harem of quite delicious Arab boys, and his fourth wife, Sophie, who will be with him is terribly sweet, breeds wolf-hounds and is an authority on Kakiemon porcelain. And then try and avoid, as politely as you can, the Courtneys; he’s the Film Star, and his wife wears diamonds in the morning, you’ll recognize them instantly. They’re deeply “in” with the Monaco Set and all that Palace tra la la, “Grace” and “Rainier” – but one has to have them, she’s British, it is tiresome … and then of course we have the Italians.’ She looked apprehensively across the wide pool to the bay beyond and the slender white shape of the Papageno riding at anchor. ‘One does so hope they can speak some English. Minna says they all can, but one never knows … it makes things awfully difficult. And Grottorosso: I’m simply terrified of meeting him. Archie says he is rather unnerving; stubborn as well.’ She tucked her silk shirt into her wide belt, straightened her straw hat. ‘But so is Archie. Stubborn, I mean. When he likes. I think we’ll leave him to deal with Grottorosso; after all he is the main reason they’ve come … to talk about the film-thing. I should keep your distance,’ she said turning to Marcus. ‘You and Leni leave the elders to themselves, once they’ve all arrived, and go off and keep the young amused.’