Q. Do you agree with me that it is very bad manners to ask for a wifi code as soon as you walk into a lunch in someone else’s house? I have a centrally located, although cramped, flat in Soho and am very happy to cook for friends and friends of friends, but it is a tough act to pull off single-handedly and it throws me when people ask for the wifi code as if supplying this is no more time-consuming than telling them where the loo is. Moreover, surely you should not even think of checking your emails and WhatsApps when invited to a non-professional lunch?

– P.R., London W1

A. No one should take or make a call during lunch, but the reality is that politicians, titans of industry, actors, freelance people and panicky mothers do need to be able occasionally to glance at their mobiles to keep abreast of emerging developments. You must bow to the inevitable and put credit-card-sized laminated wifi info in front of every place setting. This will not be perceived as an endorsement of mobile use, only a signal that you want guests to relax. Most civilised people will leave the room to respond to a message which cannot wait.

Q. When a member of my family unexpectedly inherited a substantial sum of money, I confided this to a close friend. I had wondered why she hadn’t been in touch recently, but I hear that she and he are now an item. I fear she is avoiding me because I know she had zero interest in him before his windfall. I don’t want to fall out with either of them, so how should I proceed so this doesn’t happen?

– Name and address withheld

A. If this woman was already a friend of yours, you must have found her likeable. Don’t worry too much about her motives. Even if money was the swing factor, think of the immortal words of Cesare Pavese: ‘No woman marries for money; they are all clever enough, before marrying a millionaire, to fall in love with him first.’ Suspend your cynicism and contact both of them to gush with delight at the surprise developments.

Q. What is the correct tip to leave for a cloakroom attendant at a smart restaurant such as Boisdale? They always have saucers with a few one pound coins laid out to prompt one, but never any fivers or tenners.

– R.W., London SW7

A. When banknotes are given, restaurants tend not to leave them on the saucer as they get swiped. For the same reason, the one pound coins you mention are usually glued to the tray. If you are looked after with charm and in a helpful manner, £3 would be kind and a fiver would be generous.