But she blew them both a kiss and slipping her arm into Archie’s went with him into the house.

‘Sylva? Is waiting for you?’ said Leni as they walked slowly down the scuffed lawns among scattered chairs and littered tables.

‘For us. We still have guests. Where’s your Kraut? Old Seigfried?’

‘I expect he’s waiting too. I don’t know.’

‘And he was real?’

‘Very real. Very dull.’

‘He didn’t frighten you after all?’

‘No. I was just silly. He’s a nice ordinary boy.’

‘Poor bugger. How will he look in that smooth white uniform?’

She took his arm and placed it tightly round her waist. ‘Like the figure-thing in the study, remember? Wax.’

Marcus laughed and ran her down the steps to the pool where Minerva, Wolf and Sylva were sitting in the shade by the deserted bar while Lilli Scarlatti, hands clasped before her in delight, bamboo hat discarded, cigarette hanging from her lips, swayed in ecstasy among the ‘Piranesi’ ruins.

‘Is she all right?’ said Marcus.

‘Swooning with a surfeit of style,’ said Minerva. ‘She can’t get over the “eleganza” of it all. Lilli! Do you want to come up to the house? There’s lots of style in the drawing-room, Magritte and Sickert, Bonnard and big, fat, deep chairs, and I’m half dead.’

Scarlatti joined them coughing harshly, spilling ash over her silk shirt. ‘Si Bella! Such style! I am wounded to my heart by the beauty … to the heart.’ She stubbed out her cigarette, picked up her hat and bag. ‘Is it possible that there would be a cup of tea in an English house? We could perhaps ask?’

‘We could and we shall,’ said Minerva and they started up the steps together.

Sylva reached out and took Marcus’s hand. ‘You come with Sylva for a swim? I have my costume here already.’ She patted a small sequined purse on the counter.

‘In that?’ said Marcus.

She nodded. ‘In that. We go?’ She went across to the changing rooms, percheron buttocks swinging.

‘Okay, we go.’ He pulled a half-empty bottle towards him, found a dirty glass, emptied the dregs, filled it. ‘Hair of the dog,’ he said, and drained it in one long gulp. Leni watched him with narrowed eyes. He grinned at her, crossed his own. ‘I’m a bit woozy.’ He undid the buttons of the braces, slung them over his shoulder. ‘A swim, umm? You both coming? Come on! Don’t look so stuffy.’ He pulled the T-shirt over his head and started to zip out of his trousers. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said to Wolf. ‘I’m quite decent underneath.’ He stepped out of them unsteadily.

‘I don’t think I will swim,’ said Wolf easing off the stool. ‘Maybe I’ll have a walk, up there on the hill … in the trees.’

‘Off you go then,’ said Marcus cheerfully. ‘I’m sure old Frau Baedeker here will give you a tour … show you all the sights.’ He folded his shirt and trousers over-carefully, threw them into a chair, kicked off his espadrilles, ran to the edge of the pool and jumped in, sending up a great spray of water.