Wellie and Mac took off just on half past seven, charging around to the front of the villa, barking their welcome. James, Aurelia and Tom were right on time. The threesome appeared around the back of the house, the dogs dancing at their feet.

  ‘Wellie, Mac, that’s quite enough,’ Cordelia commanded. The pair immediately raced inside, where they lay on the cool stone floor.

  ‘I wish Vincenzo was as obedient as those two,’ James said, nodding at the animals.

  ‘Dad, he’s a cat. They don’t have masters, they have servants,’ Aurelia joked.

  ‘Indeed. Welcome everyone,’ Cordelia said. ‘Hello James, it’s lovely to see you again.’

  James looked at the woman, wondering what, exactly, she was up to.

  ‘Aurelia, dear – commiserations on today, but you had us all on the edge of our seats,’ the woman said. ‘I’m Cordelia Spencer, grandmother of the two ragamuffins who inveigled all of those tickets out of you. Your father and I knew each other a long time ago.’

  Aurelia said hello. She seemed quite cheerful, given the mood she’d been in earlier.

  Cordelia proceeded to introduce everyone else while Ed and Fitz offered drinks. True to her word about everyone being on holiday, she wasn’t having Song and Sidney do all the work – tasks had been divided among the lot of them.

  The party milled about on the terrace, chatting until dinner was served.

  ‘Tom, you’re right there next to me,’ Cordelia said. ‘And James, you’re over there beside Mim. Aurelia, I’ve put you next to Curtis. I hope you don’t mind being split up, but I thought we could share you around.’

  Max glanced at his sister. Cordelia had asked about Tom earlier, and now he was sitting beside her. That did seem a little odd. The boy planned to keep a close eye on his grandmother for the rest of the night. If she was up to something, then he wanted to know.

  The family and friends found their places around the table, though Cordelia wasn’t as fussed now she’d arranged the guests into their seats.

  ‘Tough day for you,’ Curtis said to Aurelia. ‘You must be disappointed.’

  The woman took a sip of mineral water. ‘It was rotten, but I guarantee I won’t make the same mistake next weekend,’ she replied.

  After the tantrums and raging they had witnessed following the race, Curtis was surprised by her reaction. Then again, she was a professional.

  ‘Unless Felix Staffel gets in your way,’ he said. ‘I’ve beaten him in every other race this season. I’m not going to drop the ball when it matters the most,’ Aurelia said.

  ‘It must be huge pressure,’ Curtis replied.

  Aurelia thought for a moment then nodded. ‘Yes it is, though I rarely admit that to anyone. There’s a lot more riding on this championship than just my ego. If I win, it will shore up Wolf’s reputation and help enormously with a new project Dad has on the go. I don’t want to let him down.’

  Curtis grinned. ‘You won’t. And it’s not if, but when.’

  Aurelia smiled at the boy and for a second Curtis thought his heart stopped. He wished he could tell her that they knew all about the Electra, but that wouldn’t have been very professional of him at all.

  Further along the table, James and Mim were deep in conversation too.

  ‘This is lovely,’ the man said. ‘Being here with everyone. ‘Especially after my first encounter with Cordelia. I thought she would prefer never to see me again.’

  ‘She doesn’t hate you, James,’ Mim said. ‘On the contrary, I think she’s worried about you.’

  ‘That’s kind of you to say,’ the man replied. He was worried about him too, but he didn’t need to burden Mim with his problems. ‘Song and Sidney have barely aged at all. You must tell me their secret to staying so young and fit.’

  ‘Well, they train an awful lot and they’re frightfully hard workers,’ Mim said.

  ‘And you? How have you stayed so lovely,’ James asked.

  Mim could feel herself blushing.

  ‘Hardly,’ she said. ‘But I do keep busy. I’ve got an interesting organic vegetable project on the go at Alexandria. I love working in the garden and getting my hands dirty. There’s something so grounding about it – no pun intended.’

  ‘I’ve missed you,’ James whispered.

  ‘Me too,’ Mim said.

  He brushed the side of her hand with his. Mim looked at him and smiled. This wasn’t what she’d expected when they’d set off on this holiday, and it definitely wasn’t what she’d had in mind at her age and stage of life, but there was no mistaking that it felt good. She and James had loved each other since they were children, and while she didn’t want to think about it too much – lest her heart be shattered into another thousand tiny pieces – it was undeniable that there was still a spark.

  Meanwhile, Tom was undergoing something of an interrogation at the other end of the table, beside Cordelia. Max had placed himself opposite the pair and was watching his grandmother like a hawk.

  ‘So how long have you and Aurelia been married, Tom?’ the woman asked.

  ‘Just over a year now,’ he replied. ‘But we’ve been together for much longer.’

  Max reached across and took a slice of garlic bread from the basket in the middle of the table.

  ‘And tell me, how did you acquire that limp of yours and the scar on your chin?’ Cordelia asked.

  ‘Way to go, Granny,’ Max whispered to Autumn, who was sitting beside him. ‘Why doesn’t she just bring out the spotlight and shine it in his face too?’

  Autumn giggled. Cordelia was a master at making you feel you had no choice but to tell her what she wanted to know. Tom pushed his food around his plate, obviously uncomfortable.

  ‘It was an accident,’ he said.

  Cordelia wasn’t going to let him get away with that. She wanted all the details.

  ‘A motor vehicle?’ she quizzed.

  ‘Yes,’ he said bluntly.

  The woman was undeterred.

  ‘Were you the driver?’ she asked.

  ‘No, my sister was,’ he said. ‘I lost my family that day – until I met Aurelia.’

  Max took a bite of his lasagne and turned to Autumn, who grimaced.

  ‘Poor Tom. That sounds awful,’ the girl whispered.

  Though fully aware of the man’s uneasiness, Cordelia wouldn’t be stopped.

  ‘Where did you grow up?’ she asked. ‘From that accent I’d say you have something of a Texan twang.’

  The man nodded.

  ‘And what is it that got you into the racing industry?’ Cordelia asked.

  Tom chewed a potato and swallowed before answering, though from the look on his face, he might have been feeling that half of it was stuck in his throat. ‘Family,’ he replied, then turned and asked Anna whether she was enjoying her meal.

  From the look on Cordelia’s face, she wasn’t entirely happy with the outcome of their conversation.

  The meal stretched much later into the evening than Anna had hoped. Dessert had been followed by coffee and petit fours, until finally she’d looked at her watch and realised with some horror that it was already after ten. The twins had a long night ahead of them, and she was keen to get to the village and check on Claudia.

  The woman made rather a big show of yawning and stretching her arms. ‘Gosh, I’m so tired,’ Anna said loudly. She yawned again for maximum impact. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the contagion to take hold. James stood up.

  ‘Cordelia, thank you for a wonderful evening,’ the man said, ‘but we must be going.’

  Within a few minutes the guests were bidding everyone farewell.

  Cordelia, Mim and Ed walked their guests to the end of the driveway. By the time they returned to the terrace, Irene and Fletcher had already cleared the table and packed the dishwasher.

  ‘Oh good heavens,’ Cordelia said. ‘That was unexpectedly prompt of you.’

  Max was still watching his grandmother. A couple of times during the evening, he’d noticed her eyeing off Tom’s cutlery and glass. Cordelia wanted his DNA. After her line of questioning earlier and the fact that she’d referred to him as a conundrum while they were at the track, he was sure of it. Max held tight to the fork that he’d wrapped in a napkin. His grandmother was up to something, and now he had the bargaining chip he might just need.

  Irene Lee looked at her daughter, then at Anna and Kensy. She was sitting on the edge of Autumn’s bed, supposedly saying goodnight, but there was a lot more going on than that.

  ‘Are you serious?’ she said.

  ‘Deadly,’ Anna replied. ‘Someone is out to sabotage Wolf Motors, and James needs our help to ensure the launch of his car happens. Not to mention that it’s time we freed Claudia from her prison, before her captors can use her as a bargaining chip. The idea Kensy’s come up with to get us all to Berlin – and Curtis’s strategy to lure the kidnappers out into the open – is perfect. Cordelia said she didn’t mind if we took side-trips when she rented the villa for the month, so it won’t be suspicious at all if we pretend to take a long weekend to Spain. Curtis suggested the exhibition at La Casa de la Ciencia in Seville as a decoy.’

  ‘Song, Sidney and Fletcher are clearly working on something, and Ed and Fitz are meeting Peter Petrovska in secret, so I doubt they’ll look too closely at what we’re up to. You’re an amazing agent, Irene. We need you to help ensure the Electra’s launch is a success this Saturday, to save James from losing everything.’

  ‘Well, yes, of course I’m in,’ the woman said, rubbing her hands together. ‘It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.’

  ‘Except for one small detail,’ Kensy said. ‘We’re still missing a driver. James can take one of the trucks, but Mum doesn’t feel confident behind the wheel of a semi-trailer and none of us have experience either – though I’m sure we could.’

  ‘I can do it,’ Irene said.

  ‘Really?’ Autumn frowned. ‘When have you ever driven a semi-trailer, Mum?’

  ‘Last year, your father and I spent two months driving big rigs from Hong Kong to Mongolia while we were on the tail of a highly organised gang of thieves. He drove daytime and then I would take the night shifts. There aren’t terribly many female truck drivers in that part of the world, so it was just easier for me to sleep in the back of the cabin during the day,’ Irene explained.

  ‘Oh my gosh, Mum, that’s amazing. I had no idea,’ Autumn said.

  ‘Yes, darling, that’s the point. We’re spies and we were undercover, so no one was allowed to know. But I am very confident behind the wheel,’ the woman said.

  ‘This is perfect,’ Anna said. ‘Right. Tonight, after we see Claudia, we talk to James too.’

  ‘Will you be able to get out without Dad knowing?’ Autumn asked her mother.

  ‘Your father has been spending hours down in the guesthouse with Song and Sidney. Last night he didn’t come back at all. When I asked him about it, he said that they were playing mahjong until after midnight, and he fell asleep. If I didn’t know better, though, I’d say that the three of them are working a case,’ Irene said. ‘So I will encourage them to continue their game this evening. I don’t feel remotely bad about helping you, except if Cordelia finds out. She still scares me, even after all these years.’

  ‘Common theme, really,’ Kensy said. ‘We’ll deal with Granny if and when the time comes, but, for now, we tell everyone that we’re off on a trip to Seville and hope that no one else shows any interest.’

  ‘Let me plan the itinerary. It will be so busy that no one in their right mind would want to come along,’ Irene said, with a twinkle in her eye. ‘Fletcher hates when I plan crazy tourist schedules – he’d much rather stay home.’

  ‘Wonderful,’ Anna said. ‘This is all a bit thrilling, isn’t it?’ The others looked at her. ‘Of course, it’s also very serious.’ The woman bit her lip.

  ‘Spy life isn’t for everyone, but for those of us who love it . . . I know exactly what you mean,’ Irene said.

  The woman stood up. She hugged her daughter and kissed the girl’s cheek, then walked to the door, pausing as she remembered something. ‘Oh, Autumn, could I borrow your watch, please?’ Irene asked.

  ‘Why?’ the girl asked, taking it off and handing it over.

  ‘Because I’m going to deactivate the tracker your father insisted we have installed,’ the woman said. ‘And before you say another word – I’m sorry. It just made us feel better, knowing where you were most of the time.’

  It was after ten when the twins, Autumn and Curtis schlepped down to breakfast the next morning, but no one minded. They were on holidays, after all. For the first time in days, the family were all still congregated in the kitchen and on the terrace, reading, sipping tea and coffee, and enjoying a delicious selection of pastries that Sidney had picked up in the village first thing. The weather was picture perfect and not as hot as it had been, following another storm last night.

  ‘Who is up for a surfing lesson today?’ Song asked the children as they sat around the breakfast table, munching on their cereal and toast and looking as if they could all happily go back to bed.

  Anna eyeballed the four of them and cleared her throat.

  ‘Me!’ Max said, raising his hand half-heartedly and trying to muster some enthusiasm. He and Kensy had finished their work with James after three that morning. He’d noticed that the lights in the guesthouse were still on when they’d arrived home, so it was surprising how bright and cheerful Song and Sidney both were, considering.

  ‘I’m coming, but only to see how good you two really are,’ Kensy said, glancing at Song and then at his brother.

  ‘Oh, have no doubts about that, Miss Kensington,’ Sidney said. ‘I am much better than Song, but he will try his hardest to prove me wrong.’

  The girl giggled. ‘Have you two always been so competitive?’

  ‘This is us being cooperative,’ Song replied, deadpan. ‘Confucius says he who would do great things should not attempt them alone. Hence, we have always tried things together. It spurs us both to greater heights – though my height is usually higher.’

  Cordelia chortled. ‘Oh Song. You’re terrible. You should see them when they really go at it. Remember that friendly tennis match at Alexandria a few years back? One second Song was running for the ball, and the next he was head-first over the net and sprawled on the court. Who would have thought tennis could be so dangerous.’

  ‘So did Sidney win?’ Curtis asked.

  ‘No,’ Song said. ‘I played with my injuries and it went down to a tie break, in which I triumphed.’

  ‘Only because you yelled out that there was an incoming pigeon!’ Sidney said.

  ‘Which there wasn’t, of course, but you must be on your game and, my dear brother, you weren’t,’ Song said with a grin. ‘Shall we leave in an hour?’

  ‘I think we should all go,’ Cordelia said. ‘I haven’t been to the beach in ages, and a paddle in the surf will do me the world of good.’

  Ed glanced up from the book he was reading. ‘Fitz and I were thinking about playing golf again.’

  Anna glared at the man, then at her mother-in-law.

  ‘I think you’d do well to spend some time with your wife and children, dear,’ Cordelia said. Clearly it wasn’t a suggestion.

  Now that she’d spoken, it seemed that everyone was keen to share their enthusiasm for the outing.

  ‘Good. I’ll order a van for eleven,’ Cordelia said. ‘And remember to slip, slop, slap – we don’t want anyone getting sunburned.’

  ‘Ha,’ Curtis said. ‘I love it when you say really Australian things, Dame Spencer. It reminds me of home.’ The boy paused for a moment. ‘How good is a chocolate paddle pop?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ Cordelia said, a glint in her eye and a smile on her face. ‘I love them. And Violet Crumbles and Bertie Beetles. The Brits don’t make ice-cream and confectionary the same at all.’

  ‘That’s because we make them better,’ Mim said.

  ‘Debatable, dear,’ Cordelia replied, ‘but we’ll leave that contest for another time.’

  Ed stood up and walked inside, to where Anna had just taken a stack of dishes and placed them in the sink. She turned the tap on.

  ‘Sorry, darling,’ Ed whispered in his wife’s ear. ‘I know I haven’t been very attentive the past couple of days. Let’s go and have some fun at the beach.’

  Anna turned around and kissed his cheek. ‘Love you,’ she whispered.

  ‘And I love you too,’ Ed said.

  ‘Ew, gross, old people kissing,’ Kensy said, pointing and wrinkling her nose.

  ‘I think your parents are adorable,’ Mim said. ‘And, Kensy, one day you’ll realise that there is no better feeling than being in love.’

  The rest of the party looked at her.

  ‘Anything you need to tell us, Mim?’ Ed asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

  ‘No, darling, nothing to see here,’ Mim replied, but not one of them believed her.

  The beach proved to be just the tonic for everyone. Song and Sidney divided the children into two surfing teams. Song would coach Kensy and Curtis, while Max and Autumn would be taught by Sidney.

  Curtis demonstrated his prowess on the board within minutes, quickly paddling out the back and catching a wave right into the shore. It didn’t take long for the others to start to get the hang of things. Soon they were standing up . . . and falling off. It seemed that the whole family was keen to get in on the act and, with the exception of Hector and Marisol, everyone had a turn trying to master the art.

  But it was Cordelia who stunned them all – and herself – when she not only managed to stand up on the board, but rode her wave to the beach with barely a wobble.

  A group of young men sitting astride their surfboards cheered her all the way. ‘Enforcar dez vovó!’ one of them shouted.

  The children all burst out laughing, as he’d just told her ‘hang ten, Grandma’ in Portuguese.

  When Cordelia leapt from the board onto the sand, she turned around and took a bow. The boys gave her a rousing round of applause.

  Kensy skipped up to her.