Stefano was surprised. “But I understood you and David Penn are not on good terms, since…” Not being sure how much la cugina knew, he had to content himself with a meaningful glance at Aidan.

“Quite right. We got into a fight,” said Aidan, his glass at his lips. “It was hilarious, actually.”

Stefano looked unconvinced, so I laid my hand on his arm. “It’s all right, Stef, they won’t attack each other in your father’s house, and actually, I’m dying to meet David Penn.”

“I believe he has been invited tonight.” Stefano’s smile was forced. “Perhaps we shall run across him this evening. Will you dance, signorina?”

“I’d love to.” I nudged Aidan. “Come on, slowcoach, ask one of these girls!”

But Aidan had extracted the information he wanted. “Actually, I think I’ll go and seek out Gio. Are there canapés on the terrace?”

“Aidan, you’re being very boring!” I told him.

Stefano was beaming. “If you would rather eat canapés and speak to my father than dance with a beautiful girl, that is up to you,” he said to Aidan, “but I cannot understand it.” He took the champagne glass from my fingers, set it down and held out his arm. “Now, my dear Sarah, I’m sure you know this American dance, the Charleston?”

He soon discovered I was not a practised dancer, so he gave up trying to do the Charleston or any other dance, and merely held me close and steered me backwards between the other couples. I allowed him to put his cheek close to mine and whisper in Italian for a few minutes. Then, when I judged he was off his guard, I raised my voice above the music. “I do wish Aidan were more adventurous, don’t you?”

Stefano spoke carefully, as if choosing his words. “He was pretty adventurous when we were at school, you know. I don’t know how many times I got into trouble because of him.”

“What did he do?”

“Oh, smoking, drinking, going to places that were out of bounds.”

I laughed, “Well, he still does that! The smoking and the drinking, I mean. But for someone who works in such a glamorous business, he’s so dull. Did you know he absolutely refuses to take cocaine even though everyone he knows does? I said I bet he could get some from someone on his film – I’d love to try it – but he refused, and he was so grumpy, Stef. I sometimes think he just doesn’t want to have fun.”

We danced in silence while Stefano pondered this. My heart was fluttering a little. This was the part of what Aidan and I had planned that was most likely to go wrong. And Aidan was not here to help me or give me cues.

“Perhaps Aidan is conscious of your parents’ disapproval. You are, as he has told me, very young.”

“I’m eighteen!” I exclaimed. “And even if my mother does think things like champagne and cocaine the work of the devil, she’s in England, and we’re here!”

“What do you know about cocaine?” he asked. He was smiling, but his eyes were wary.

“People take it to give themselves a kick, don’t they? Aidan says David Penn takes it. Is that true? I would love to know what that kick feels like.”

“And you are not afraid to try it?”

I looked straight at him. “No, not at all.”