Hongres ou harengs rouges?

I was invited to lunch in the grandstand restaurant at Deauville racecourse and instructed that there would be a table for 10 reserved by the window. I was the first of our party to arrive and was welcomed by the maitre d who then informed me politely that there was no reservation in our name and that all the window tables were reserved. The only English name on the list was "Matthews" but there were no "Matthews" in our party. I rang my friend in England who'd organised the lunch but who was not able to attend. "But there must be a reservation!" she exclaimed. "The only English name on the list is 'Matthews'", I replied. "They must have made a mistake," she proclaimed. "Take the 'Matthews' table." I returned sheepishly to the maitre d and said that in fact 'Matthews' was my table. "Ah, you are a friend of Monsieur Matthews?" he asked. "Well, voila, Monsieur Matthews has just arrived: let me escort you to the table!" Cringing with embarrassment, I was then obliged to admit that I must have made a mistake and the m d gleefully invited me to sit at the furthest table from the window to wait for the other members of my party. Five minutes later, my friends Mr and Mrs Brooks arrived and I explained the predicament. They spoke to the m d and looked at the list. The reservation was discovered under the name of "Brouex".