They left the boat far behind, and so stopped at the first small village they came to, dismounted, and bought ice creams while they waited for it to appear. Neil and Katherine wandered onto the bridge a few hundred yards away where ducks were bobbing, and Lorrie and Irene sat in the shade of the trees.

‘Tell me about Mickey and Luke,’ said Irene casually.

Lorrie cast her a sideways look.

‘Which one do you really want to know about?’

‘Both!’

‘OK. Let me see. Mickey works with computers. I think he’s a software programmer – though I’ve never been quite sure what that means –’

‘No. Not his cv, real stuff. You know.’

‘Hmmm. Well, from what Neil says, Mickey was always the one who got into trouble when he was a kid. He’s a year younger than Mary and Neil and Luke, and they were always having to cover up for him, and break up fights. A tearaway really. He used to play truant, things like that; hated school. He had girlfriends early – was always falling in and out of love. Well, you can tell by his manner, can’t you? He’s a bit of a lady’s man.’

Her glance slid across Irene’s face. Irene made a neutral sound.

‘He was really cut up when his wife left – he went on a bender for months and nearly lost his job. I think it was a massive blow to his pride, but also, he adores his boys. He’s a complete softie with them. I know he misses them a lot. He’s always talking about them, showing you photos and things, telling you their latest triumphs, the last funny thing they said. It’s very painful to witness.’

‘What’s she like?’

‘Sandy? Not what you’d expect from previous girlfriends. Rather serious and stern and ambitious. She bossed him about quite a bit but he seemed to like it, or need it or something. Who knows what goes on in marriages.’

‘How long ago did they separate?’

‘It must be a couple of years now, maybe more.’

‘So is he all right now?’

‘I guess. He still drinks quite a bit and has the occasional wild fling. I know Mary worries.’

‘Ah,’ said Irene vaguely. Then, ‘What about Luke?’

‘Luke? Luke’s a honey.’

‘Is he?’

‘Well, he’s rather an oddball actually. He can be very abrupt and off-putting, but that’s only because he’s shy. Shy but quite self-sufficient, I’d say. You could imagine him on a desert island, getting on fine, making a neat shelter with things he found washed up on the beach, staring at the weather. And not really minding that he was alone. But maybe that’s wrong – I don’t know him like Neil and Mary do.’

Irene took her sunglasses off, blew on them and said, as she rubbed them clean with the edge of her tee-shirt, ‘Is he involved with anyone?’