The sheer scope and variety of the scenery was breathtaking, from towering rock faces and craggy ridges, to moatlike lakes that snaked along the valley floor. As they clambered up steep sided gullies and cooled down next to frothing waterfalls, they saw buzzards, ospreys and red kites. They tramped through ancient woodland, the trees knotted and gnarled.

They left Molly with Clare’s mother for a day and climbed Helvellyn, a test of physical fitness that made Flora finally give thanks for the running she’d done with Izzy. As she tackled the notoriously vertiginous ridge of Striding Edge she discovered two things. First, that she wasn’t afraid of heights, and second, that she was in love with the Lakes, even though that affection didn’t extend to actually dipping her toes in water. Her normally pale skin became lightly tanned, and a few freckles appeared on her nose. Her body felt stronger than it had in years. She felt stronger.

And whatever she did, Jack was there. They tried to be discreet, but she wasn’t sure they succeeded. She discovered it was possible to communicate a great deal without touching. A look. A smile. That was all it took. And on the occasions when they managed more she wasn’t sure which of them was more desperate. It was more a collision of need than a blending. Sometimes she looked at him and thought he’s gorgeous, and other times she thought he’s mine. Either way she couldn’t stop looking, and the more she looked the better she knew him. She knew that look he wore when he listened to Molly, the way he smiled when he swung his daughter onto his shoulders and heard her belly laugh. And then there were the more intimate expressions. The look in his eyes when he and Flora were naked together, when her bare leg slid over his and when she arched into him, inviting.

Fortunately their deepening connection didn’t appear to have a negative impact on the rest of the group.

Since the incident with Molly, Izzy was noticeably more relaxed with her. Flora was no longer nervous and on edge when they were together, and occasionally they even shared a laugh. They weren’t friendly exactly, but the tension was a little less than it had been.