In the short distance back to the hotel she slipped into a half doze. Through it she could just hear Catalina prattling away in a non-stop monologue, punctuated by Sebastian’s bored ‘Really?’, ‘Indeed!’ and ‘Quite!’

At the hotel he ordered breakfast to be sent up. While he made phone calls the two women went to Catalina’s room, where she stripped off and announced that she was going to have a bath. Maggie would have liked to do the same but she had to settle for borrowing one of Isabella’s ‘granny’ cardigans in a shade of deadly grey, which she slipped on over her bare shoulders.

When she returned to the sitting room, breakfast had arrived. Sebastian grimaced at the sight of her dowdy attire. ‘It suits Isabella better,’ he said wryly. ‘She is past being attractive to men.’

‘And I,’ Maggie retorted with spirit, ‘am indifferent to men.’

‘That is a lie and we both know it,’ he asserted calmly. ‘But this is neither the time nor the place to discuss that.’

‘Never and nowhere! That’s the time and place to discuss it.’

‘Sit down and eat. We have to decide what to do.’

‘We?’ Maggie enquired ironically.

He refused to rise to her bait. ‘Catalina and I will leave for Spain tomorrow. I need you to come with us and remain until the wedding.’

‘Certainly not!’ Maggie said without hesitation. ‘And leave Isabella alone here where she doesn’t know anyone? How can you be so inconsiderate?’

‘If you would allow me to finish,’ he said with some asperity, ‘I could tell you that while you were out of the room I arranged for her sister to fly to London. She will arrive this afternoon, and stay until Isabella can travel.’

‘I’m very happy for them both, but I gave you my notice yesterday, and nothing has changed.’

‘Nonsense, everything has changed,’ he said impatiently. ‘Even you must see that.’

‘Yesterday I was a disreputable woman who was dragging Catalina into dens of vice. Now you’re ready to forget that because I can be useful to you.’