There were no more sobs. His voice was under control again, but it was so bleak, her heart hurt.

She slid her arm around his neck, hugging him close.

He groaned, clinging to her as if she were his only remaining reality.

‘I can’t believe your mother would do anything dishonourable,’ she said after a little while. ‘Your mother and father have never lived together, have they? Not since you were very small. Perhaps, so as not to hurt you and Max and Nancy, she’s waited a long time to divorce your father and marry Adam. And if she is going to divorce him and marry someone else, surely you’re pleased it’s someone you all like? I know I don’t know him as well as you all do, but whenever I’ve met him I’ve always thought him a splendid kind of person.’

‘He is a splendid kind of person! But that isn’t the point, Hester. The point is he and my mother are in their forties. What are people going to think? What are they going to say?’

She slid her arm down from around his neck and looked steadily into his eyes. ‘Is that all that is truly bothering you, Hugo?’

He shook his head, grateful for her good sense; grateful for the inner calm that never deserted her. ‘No,’ he said, lifting up her hand and kissing it. ‘I just don’t like to think of Adam and my mother—‘ He stopped, unable to go on.

‘Making love?’ she asked. ‘But then you probably wouldn’t want to think of your mother and your father making love.’ She gave a tiny chuckle. ‘I know I wouldn’t want to think of my parents making love.’

He made a sound in his throat that could have been halfway to an answering chuckle.

‘I’m glad you’re beginning to feel a little better about it.’ She leaned against him, her head on his shoulder.

‘If I am, it’s only because of you, Hester.’

The dusk had merged into night and in the darkness she smiled, content.

He was silent for a long while, soothed by her nearness, by the fresh lemon fragrance of her hair and the sound of her gentle breathing.

‘This has all put a lot of things in perspective for me,’ he said at last, with quiet certainty. ‘It’s made me see there’s no point in taking mind of what other people think or feel. My mother certainly hasn’t, has she? And I don’t think we should either, Hester.’

She pulled away from him slightly, looking up into his face, a face she loved with all her heart. ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart,’ she said, puzzled. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘Well, we love each other, don’t we? And because you’re only sixteen we have to pretend to everyone that we’re just good friends—though after tonight, I think your parents are going to realize differently, and not allow you to see me any more—and I don’t see why we have to continue pretending.’