‘Sounds it! Rather you than me. A boiled egg is still about the most complicated thing I can cook!’ Ruth, her neat figure dressed in navy slacks rolled to the knee, with a white short-sleeved blouse, was also looking tanned and well. She put her head back and closed her eyes. ‘Ah, this is bliss – at least it will be, if those children keep their distance. I don’t want to get splashed!’

Molly screwed up her eyes against the sunlight dazzling her from the water. The lake was busy with little blue-and-yellow pedaloes. The water felt silky as she moved her feet in it.

‘Have you seen Win?’

‘No – not for ages. I had a card from her, though, from Rome. It all sounded very cultural – you know Win. She’s going into her final year now, like me.’

‘What’ll she do then?’

‘Oh,’ Ruth smiled mischievously. ‘Something frightfully sensible, I expect.’

‘And what will you do?’ Molly could scarcely imagine their lives. A university degree was hard enough to picture, but then what? ‘Will you be a teacher or summat like that?’

Ruth straightened up, eyes open. ‘I don’t know. More and more I think I’d like to stay on and do research – if I get a good enough degree. Otherwise, I suppose I’ll go and work for some firm – or hospital laboratory . . . I have no desire to be a teacher. They’d run rings around me—’

‘Hello, Molly!’ a male voice cut in, making them both jump. A lively, sandy-haired young man planted himself beside Molly.

‘All right, Trevor?’ Molly said. ‘This is my mate Ruth – she’s come for a long weekend.’

‘’Ello, Ruth!’ Trevor held his hand out, grinning. ‘Are you the brainy one?’

‘Oh, I don’t know about—’ Ruth began.

‘Yes,’ Molly said, proudly. ‘She’s doing a degree at Cambridge University.’

‘Blimey,’ Trevor said. ‘Most of us are stuck with the university of life, eh?’ He seemed put off and got to his feet. ‘See you later, Molly?’

‘Maybe,’ Molly said.

‘Bye, then – bye, Ruth.’

He went off cheerfully.

‘That was Trevor,’ Molly said.

‘Is he your boyfriend?’ Ruth could be very direct.

Molly blushed. ‘Sort of. For now, I s’pose.’

‘Not a great romance then,’ Ruth said drily. In all the time Molly had known Ruth, so far as she knew Ruth had never had a boyfriend. She just didn’t seem to be the type.

‘Nah. Not me.’ Molly made a splash with her toes.

Ruth looked curiously at her. ‘But you’re such a honeypot! Don’t you want marriage and babies, things like that, Molly?’

Molly looked down at the bright water. Abruptly she said, ‘I can’t have babies, Ruth.’

‘What? Whatever makes you think that?’

Molly was really blushing now. It was the first time she had ever said it, admitted it properly, even to herself. It was one of the things that tied her to Ruth – the fact that they could both say things to each other: there was that kind of bond.