On a Saturday morning in early July, Irene went shopping with Sasha, while Karen looked after Clem and Aggie went to her childminder’s for the morning. She put all thoughts of her debts behind her and bought two large travel bags and three small backpacks for the plane journey, three wash bags with toothbrushes, miniature tubes of toothpaste, flannels. Sasha chose a summer skirt for herself, pale blue with tiny sprigs of pink flowers, and a shiny pink ribbon round the hem. They got several sleeveless tops to go with it, a cardigan, a pair of board shorts, some sandals and some tough trainers, a new pair of baggy jeans and a hoodie, blue, with green sleeves. Irene bought three waterproof jackets which could be packed into nylon bags the size of a handkerchief; three swimsuits with long arms and legs against the sun – although Sasha kept telling her it was winter in Australia, it wouldn’t be that hot – and three sun hats. She got a £10 camera for Sasha and also a disposable underwater camera for when they were at the Great Barrier Reef. At W.H. Smith, they chose books with bright covers and unlined paper for each of the girls, which would serve as diaries, scrapbooks and picture books, and then stocked up on new crayons and gel pens, glue and scissors. Irene told Sasha she had to write something down about each day, so she would know all the exciting things the three of them had done.

Then they had lunch together. Sasha sat at the table behind the tall menu, swinging her bare, tanned legs. She was wearing a strappy top and some white pedal pushers and one of her friends had taught her how to put her hair into a messy bun. She looked suddenly older, thought Irene, and very self-possessed with her small, buttoned-up face and her cool grey eyes. She studied the menu and then asked for spaghetti with bacon and a banana milk-shake. She said she would like to have the raspberry ice cream afterwards. Irene ordered herself a salad and a glass of sparkling water.

‘Well,’ she said, after the waiter had gone. ‘Are you very excited?’

‘I don’t want to be bitten by a Box Jellyfish.’

‘I don’t think it’s the season.’

‘What will you do?’

‘Goodness, I haven’t really thought about it.’

‘You can’t go away.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘It’d be horrible thinking there was no one waiting for us.’

‘Oh,’ said Irene. ‘But I have to have a life too.’

‘You could go to the gym.’

‘I don’t belong to a gym.’

‘Frankie and Daddy go to this really cool one with a pool and everything. They go every day together.’

‘Good for them.’

‘Except Frankie has to be careful now.’

‘Does she?’ said Irene, suddenly wary.

‘Yes. That’s what Daddy said anyway.’

‘Why?’