'Loretta and my grandmother only eat fruit and toast for breakfast. They can help themselves to that whenever they like. Candice and I usually eat breakfast together at around about this time. Otherwise make it twelve-thirty for lunch and seven for dinner.'

'Good,' Davina murmured after a moment. 'I see the bedrooms aren't made up-will Candice and her mother share or-'

'No.'

'OK. I'll fix them up the day before they arrive. What about food in general-any preferences? And would you like three-course dinners, for example, hot lunches? Does Candice join you for dinner?'

He shrugged. 'Yes, she does unless it's a dinner party and on those occasions three courses would be in order. Lunch you can make quite simple, cold meat and salad, that kind of thing-I leave it up to you.'

'So only two courses when you aren't entertaining?'

'Uh huh. We also catch and eat a lot of fish-are you good at cooking fish, Davina?' He raised an eyebrow at her.

'How nice for you-extremely good,' she said mildly. 'I noticed a barbecue outside-would it be in order to light it on the odd fine night? I'm even good at barbecuing fish.'

'Perfectly in order-is that the lot?' he said gravely, and Davina took a breath and set her teeth because it was back again. As he himself had put it, they were- albeit with the utmost politeness-fencing with each other once more.

And for the life of her she couldn't help herself as she said innocently, 'I think so. Are you about to rush off somewhere? Please don't let me detain you if so.'

'I'm about to take you on a tour of the island,' he replied equally as innocently.

She stood up, 'There's really no need for that, Mr Warwick. I found the bicycles so I can take myself, besides which, I ought to get to know your cleaning lady-'

'You can do that later, Davina. It so happens that this is the only free time I have at the moment.'

'But-'