‘You could cycle here.’

‘True,’ I nod, ‘but have you seen the hills? I’d need thighs of steel.’

She laughs.

‘You know I used to take London for granted – all the restaurants and bars and cafes and shops; getting last-minute tickets for the theatre or a concert; grabbing a pint of milk at nine o’clock on a Sunday evening; jumping in a cab; sushi by Deliveroo.’ I smile as I reel off the longlist. ‘There’s always something open. Something happening. When I came here it seemed so quiet and sleepy, it was a shock. Plus it didn’t help that it was the middle of winter. It was like everyone was hibernating.’

‘That’s what we used to do when I was growing up in Scotland,’ Naomi nods. ‘It was so cold and dark in winter . . .’ She gives a little shiver, remembering. ‘Beautiful, though.’

‘Well, that’s the thing.’ I nod. ‘It’s forced me to slow down, to stop rushing about, to look and listen. To really notice things. And I’ve realized that actually the countryside is far more alive and invigorating than any city. I mean, just look at that landscape.’ I gesture across the sweeping valley. ‘It’s much grander than any of London’s skyline.’

We both pause for a few moments to stare at it, before climbing over the stile and descending the grassy bank to where the river deepens and widens, forming a small pebbly beach. Immediately Ellie runs onto it gleefully, followed with a little agility by Harry.

‘What a gorgeous spot.’

‘Josie and I used to swim here in the summer. Well, Josie did. I used to paddle,’ I add as an afterthought.

‘You were ahead of the times – wild swimming’s all the rage now.’

‘Wild swimming, what’s that?’

‘Don’t you look at Instagram?’ she laughs, and I frown.

‘I deleted all my apps, remember? So I wasn’t tempted to look at photos of David’s new girlfriend.’ Squatting down, I pick up a pebble, rubbing my thumb along its smooth edges. ‘She’s a yoga teacher. Can you imagine? It would be like self-harming.’

‘They call that a social media detox.’

‘I call it a means of a survival.’

‘Self-care,’ she corrects firmly. ‘You’re practising self-care.’

‘Self-care,’ I repeat, skimming the pebble into the river. It makes a splash as it hits the surface – once, twice – then disappears.

‘Anyway, it basically means swimming outdoors in natural places – you know, like rivers, lakes, the sea . . . I’ve been a few times with Danny; it’s supposed to be a really good way to de-stress, and great for the metabolism—’ She breaks off and her face lights up. ‘We should go wild swimming here.’

‘Here? But it’s still only April – the water will be freezing.’

‘That’s why it’s so invigorating.’

‘And we don’t have any swimming costumes.’

‘That’s another reason why it’s wild.’ Naomi flashes her wide, white smile.

‘What? You mean . . . naked?’

‘Well, you can keep your underwear on, if you’re prudish.’