‘I’m not really a swimmer.’ Maddy sticks close to Helga, as they head off down the stones towards the sea. There are some swimmers further out, swimming with languid strokes.

‘I’m not either,’ Claire says. ‘But wouldn’t it be good to swim like that?’

‘You could take lessons,’ Helga says, remembering that Dominica had mentioned having some in the Queens Hotel. ‘Didn’t you have some a while back?’ she asks her.

‘Oh yeah,’ Dominica says. ‘With Andy. I’ll give you his number.’

‘Is he nice?’ Claire asks.

‘Oh yes,’ Dominica says in a strange way and Helga remembers now that Dominica had told her that he was very attractive. ‘I think you’ll like him.’

‘So, what’s the trick? To getting in, I mean?’ Maddy asks, now they’re ankle-deep.

‘To walk in slowly,’ Helga explains. ‘Which is why it’s good you’re going in at low tide. Just gentle steps in,’ she coaxes, as they reach the water.

Tor and Dominica and Claire wade ahead, bracing their knees against the breaking waves. They’re like Amazonian warriors heading off towards the sinking sun. Tor’s shoulders get higher and higher as she avoids getting her armpits into the cold water, then she braves it and dives in, like a mermaid. She comes up with a whoop of joy.

‘Oh my God,’ Maddy says, stopping. ‘Sorry,’ she apologises. ‘I can’t do it.’

‘You can. Don’t be intimidated. Nothing bad is going to happen.’

‘Really?’

‘You’re going to experience some very normal reactions. The first of which is your gasp reflex, when you’ll take a sharp intake of breath. Your heart rate will go up. That’s why people get in trouble when they jump into very cold water, but you doing this … walking slowly … means it’s all going to be fine.’

Maddy nods and continues to walk in with Helga.

‘OK, so this isn’t going to be pleasant, but my suggestion is that you dunk down and get some cold water down the front of your wetsuit. Get that reaction over with.’

‘And then what happens?’

‘Well, just notice. You’ll be fine after the initial shock.’

Maddy dips down and puts water down the neck of her wetsuit. She squeals and gasps at the same time.

‘You’re right. That’s horrible.’

Helga’s not one for wetsuits. Never has been. As far as she’s concerned, the wetsuit is like a full-body condom and she’s not up for total sensory deprivation, when the whole point of getting in the water is to experience your senses fizzing. The others are all in now and she glides down into the water with a smile.

Maddy is intrepidly following her, deeper now. ‘What’s the temperature? I mean, what classifies as cold water?’

‘Well, anything under sixteen degrees is cold and under ten is really cold. I think we’re at about nine today.’

‘Err … yep. I’d say it’s really cold.’ Maddy lets out a shocked laugh. ‘You don’t have to stay in longer on my account.’

‘We won’t stay longer than ten minutes or so, in any case.’