My thoughts turned, somewhat frivolously, away from Celia and Edward, to what I might even be so bold as to call my own love life. To Ted, on whom I hoped I hadn't made too disastrous an impression. And about whom, actually, I was beginning to have some rather warm, glowing feelings, which were remarkably pleasant, and which I hadn't experienced for a very long time. A small smile escaped me under the duvet and I opened my eyes a touch. We're not talking thunder bolts here, or a karate chop behind the knees, nothing like that. Just a warm, rosy glow, rather like — yes, rather like a cosy four-ply Aran sweater. Disappointingly, though, as my mind roved back to kissing him on the beach, which possibly hadn't been my finest hour but had at least got the ball rolling, the rosy glow didn't last. Because someone else, also on the beach, loomed large and took center stage. Peter. I'd thought he was with Janey, but could it equally have been a young student? I frowned. I hadn't noticed him at all at the party, but he'd obviously been there. Had he met someone?

I sat up abruptly and reached for my phone. Sent him a text.

“Hi darling - hope all's well.

Think I saw you last night at the beach!”

I waited, ridiculously, impotently, because of course the young don't text back like we do. They don't have their phones on volume or they'd be beeping away boringly all day, unlike those who get positively exercised by their occasional music. But then, amazingly, he did. I jumped. Gazed at my screen.

“Yeah, I saw you too. Kissing and taking drugs – look at you!”

I dropped the phone in horror. Both hands went to my mouth. How awful! I was about to text back and say I was doing nothing of the kind but that would, of course, be a thumping great lie.

Instead, after I'd unfrozen, which took a few moments, I scuttled to the bathroom in shame and shut the door. I'd left the offensive phone on the bed where I couldn't see it, and I crept now to run a hot bath with lots of bubbles. Had he been jocular in tone? Not embarrassed and aghast? Yes, of course he had. Still. I could hardly ask him now if he'd been walking along the beach with Janey, could I? It seemed positively tame in comparison to my antics. And anyway, so what if he had? They hadn't been arm in arm, I persuaded myself. I don't know why I'd thought that. No, it was just an innocent stroll, that was all. Oh, you do overreact, Flora. I gently peeled off my clothes. Slowly I immersed my poor; bewildered, traumatized self in the steamy water, hoping not only for a cleaner body, but a cleaner mind, too.