And it wasn’t the first time. They had been together for two and a half years and it had been great for the first twenty-four months, but a few weeks before last Christmas a student on her course – Michael Tatler – had asked her out. When she explained that she had a boyfriend, he had said they could just be friends, and he had stuck to his word.

Although not according to Ned. According to Ned, the text messages and emails – all related to their course work – were cover for an attempt to prise her away from him, and her replying to them was encouragement. Eventually he had badgered her into telling Michael not to contact her again. Nellie and Madeline, her best friends at university, had told her she should inform Ned that it was none of his business, but she could see that – maybe – he had a point, so she did what he asked and moved on.

Since then, though, he had become increasingly jealous and suspicious.

‘Well,’ she said, aiming to break the tension. ‘Mountain Rescue certainly aim to please.’

Ned flashed a glance at her, his lips pressed together. She knew what was coming: he was going to ask her why she had said that, why she had sided with Hendrik.

‘Yes,’ Hendrik said, with a broad grin. ‘They aim to please! Anyway, what shall we do tonight? Maybe finish these’ – he lifted his pint glass – ‘and then move to a more lively place?’

Lizzie nodded, and Clara followed. ‘We’re in,’ Lizzie said, and looked at Alice. ‘You guys?’

Alice was about to say yes – a change of scene would help to dissipate the tension – but Ned jumped in.

‘I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘But thanks for the offer.’

‘You have other plans?’ Donny asked.

‘Yes,’ Ned replied. ‘We do.’

They did not have other plans, but Alice knew there was no point in mentioning this. Ned was not going to go with the group.

‘OK,’ Donny said. ‘Then maybe we see you tomorrow, at the breakfast table?’

‘Maybe,’ Ned said. ‘Maybe.’

‘So,’ Alice said. ‘We have plans?’

They were alone, the others’ empty glasses still on the table. Ned finished his pint.

‘Another?’ he said.

‘Is that the plan? To stay here?’

‘Look,’ he said, ‘I didn’t want to hang out with them. We came here to spend time together.’

‘We spend plenty of time together. We hiked all day together. We sleep together. We could spend a few hours with other people.’

‘We could. But not those people.’

‘What’s wrong with them?’

‘I don’t want to listen to their stupid stories about how irresponsible they are. It’s infuriating. People come here and blunder about on the fells with no idea what they’re doing, and then inevitably they get lost and have to be rescued.’

‘That’s what Mountain Rescue is for.’

‘It’s not. It’s for real emergencies.’