‘Sorry.’ He swung the strap over his head and lifted the camera to his eye. ‘Oh, great. A boat!’

‘Take your time, Aaron. Look for the right shot. Nobody’s interested in just another photo of a boat. Try to find something different, a unique angle. The way it moves through the water. Its name on the side. That man at the back, trying to hang onto his hat …’

‘You know what I’d really like to do?’ he said, after he’d taken twenty or so shots and declared himself disappointed with them all. ‘Come back when it’s dark. Oh, not right here necessarily, but just by the water somewhere. Can we?’

‘Together? In the evening?’

‘I don’t mean like go on a date.’ He looked embarrassed. ‘Unless you fancy it, that is.’

‘Aaron, I like you, of course I do, but …’

‘Yeah, yeah. I know. Age difference, and all that. Don’t worry. It was just a thought. No, I meant to take pictures really. See how the river looks with all the lights reflected in it, the boats moored up, what the birds are getting up to when there are no boats going by and disturbing them …’

‘Nice idea. Black and white can work really well if it’s reflections you’re after. Adds a sort of moodiness.’

‘Yeah, that sounds cool. Moodiness! I like that. So, can we?’

‘I suppose we could. I haven’t actually seen London at night yet. Wasn’t sure how safe I’d be, on my own.’ Prue pulled one of her drink bottles from her rucksack and twisted at the lid.

‘No need to be worried about that if I’m there.’

‘Okay.’

‘Cool.’ He pulled out his own water bottle and took a swig. ‘Could I take some of you?’ he asked, the camera still in his hands.

‘Me?’

‘Yeah, why not? I like pictures of people, don’t you?’

‘I do, yes, but I’m no model.’

‘So? It doesn’t have to be like a fashion shoot. It’s art, isn’t it? And we’re looking for something different. The right angle, the right light …’

‘You’ve got me there!’

‘Proves I’ve been listening. So, can I? Take some of you? Just sitting, looking at the river? You can always delete them if they’re crap.’

‘Only if I can take some of you too.’

‘Fair enough.’

They took turns posing and photographing each other, moving along the path and then back up onto the bridge, to find new locations, new backdrops, until Prue declared it must be time for lunch and they went in search of a bench.

‘So, why are you here?’ Aaron took a big bite of his doorstop sandwich and carried on talking through it, crumbs falling straight at the feet of a waiting duck. ‘Why come to London, and what’s the connection with the actress?’

‘Escape. The same thing I think she was after too, so we agreed to swap for a while.’

‘Swap what? Lives?’

‘Well, homes. I’m not sure actually swapping lives would have worked. I can’t act for toffee and I don’t suppose she’d really be up for photographing prize marrows!’