‘And you can speak French; you said so. That I do remember, and you knew about Napoleon too. See, I can remember some things perfectly well.’

‘I know a good deal more about him now than I did yesterday.’

‘Oh, poor you. Yes, Archie does bang on a bit, I’m afraid. Was it frightfully dull?’

‘No. Curious.’

‘You’re going to get a terrible crick in your neck if we stay here talking like this. Go and tell Bruna, will you? You know my name, don’t you? I did tell you.’

‘You said “Cuckoo”. I can’t go and say “Cuckoo wants coffee”, now can I?’

‘No. You say “Madame wants coffee”, that’s all. ‘Voudrait” not “veut”, it’s politer.’

‘Yes, but what’s the other part?’

‘Peverill. But Cuckoo is quite enough.’

‘Just that?’

‘Just that. There is no formality between conspirators, is there?’

‘No.’

She unwound the wistaria from about her shoulders, pulled her hair behind her neck into a bunch. ‘Marcus dear, coffee, before I faint away.’

‘All right to go looking like this?’

‘Perfectly all right. You look simply … scrumptious.’

‘You don’t look so bad yourself. “Face” or not.’

‘I was what they call a “knock-out” once, I’m quite immodest. More like a lizard now. Wait until the sun hits me.’

‘I quite like lizards.’

‘You seemed very happy just now. Laughing.’

‘I am very happy. I can’t quite believe it all: it’s my first time here ever.’

‘France?’

‘First time abroad. I feel a bit drunk. It’s all wild!’

‘There is so much to see. We’ll have to show you everything … how lovely for you! We’ll talk about it at breakfast, when I’m presentable … eight o’clock, but do go and tell Bruna …’

She watched him cross to the gravel path and wave as he turned the corner of the house; she spread her hands across her cheeks, smoothing the soft skin. At the end of the point the sun lanced the sea like a surgeon’s knife. ‘I’m going to heed the voice,’ she said. ‘Before life’s liquor in its cup be dry.’

Face on, rings on, a light cotton print; hair a bit of a ruin, but rolled and teased and back-combed it would pass for breakfast, and there hadn’t really been much time. Archie, awakened by the voices, had fussed in, concerned, tousled, apprehensive.

‘My dear! I heard talking … are you all right?’

‘Look at me! Simply splendid. What a tiresome creature I am to you.’

‘That doesn’t matter. As long as you are fit … you’re sure, you are quite sure?’

‘Slept like a child. A bruise as big as a plate on my bum. … arm’s a bit stiff … but otherwise quite intact. I’m terribly sorry, about it all. So idiotic, poor Archie.’

‘You were tired.’