‘Maybe not the right word. We had an experience.’

‘I bet you were popular with the Geordie girls.’

He wagged his head from side to side. ‘It was a bit’ – he paused, searching for the right word – ‘intimidating.’

Alice laughed. ‘I can imagine.’

They were approaching a path that led to a park by the lake. Donny pointed to it.

‘Shall we walk to the water?’

She hesitated, then shrugged. ‘Why not? It’s your last night.’

The path led between two old stone walls and emerged onto another road. They crossed it and walked through a gate and into the park. There was a rocky outcrop by the edge of the lake and they headed towards it.

Donny sat down, took his flip-flops off and put his feet in the water.

‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I am polluting your clean English lake with my feet.’

‘I think it’ll be OK.’ She sat next to him. ‘I might do the same.’

‘But your feet are not smelly like mine.’

‘You don’t know that.’

He nodded. ‘True. But I am guessing.’

‘As it happens I have very smelly feet. Quick, hold your nose, I’m taking off my shoes.’ He laughed and pinched his nose while she slipped off her shoes and dangled her feet in the lake. ‘There you go. Safe now.’

He peered into the water. ‘Hmm,’ he said. ‘Maybe you’re right. I see a dead fish.’

‘Told you.’

‘Well. The world is full of surprises,’ he said. ‘Who would think such a beautiful person could smell so bad she kills fish?’

‘All part of life’s rich tapestry.’

He shifted so they were a little closer, his hip touching hers, and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned against him. It felt odd to be touching someone other than Ned, but it was strangely comfortable.

‘I like you, Donny,’ she said. ‘It’s a shame you’re leaving tomorrow.’

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘But always we will have this memory.’

He tilted his head to face her. She looked into his eyes and was struck by how blue they were, and how they were not Ned’s eyes, which was weird, it really was, and then they were kissing.

The kiss lasted a long time. How long she didn’t know, but kissing time was not like normal time. Sixty seconds of normal time was nothing; think of all the minutes that slipped by unnoticed, waiting for an appointment or idly surfing the web or passing the time of day with someone. But sixty seconds of kissing time was at once an eternity and gone in an instant.

‘Wow,’ she said. ‘That was unexpected.’

‘But nice, I hope.’

‘Very nice.’

And then they were kissing again.

They parted at the bottom of the stairs. She wasn’t ready for anything more than a kiss; Donny didn’t suggest anything more.

‘Goodnight,’ he said. ‘Perhaps we will see each other some time.’