‘Do you think we shouldn’t have done it?’ she asked, tentative. ‘Do you think it was mean?’

Corinne didn’t answer, and so Beth continued: ‘My mum said Sasha was suicidal. Do you think that’s true?’ Whenever she turned this thought over in her mind, she felt queasy.

But Corinne seemed untroubled by Sasha’s mental state. She was more concerned with getting home to Willow Park.

‘How long is this walk?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know. A couple of hours. Why?’

‘I should get back to Eva.’

‘Eva? Why?’ The words, little bullets fired sharply.

‘I shouldn’t have left her. She shouldn’t be alone.’

‘She’s not a baby. I think she’ll manage,’ jealousy making her mean.

‘She’s upset. You don’t understand.’

‘What’s she got to be upset about? So, she was dumped by some guy. So what?’ This much she had managed to squeeze from Corinne.

‘It’s not that simple,’ Corinne intoned in a serious way that pricked Beth’s attention.

‘How come? Has something happened?’

But Corinne didn’t answer. The river rushed past, growing louder as they neared the falls.

‘Why do you like her so much? I mean, she’s not even your age.’

‘Does that matter?’

‘She’s so selfish. Don’t you realize that? She doesn’t care about you, only herself. She’s using you as an audience, because she knows you’re just going to fawn all over her.’

Desperation made her say these things, the panic of knowing she was losing Corinne, that she wasn’t equipped to compete for her affections.

‘You prefer her to me, don’t you?’

‘So?’

One word uttered so casually. And yet it pierced her heart.

‘I don’t understand. You never used to be like this about her. But since we came back from France, it’s like she’s the one you care about, not me.’

‘Can’t I have more than one friend? Why must you get so jealous?’

‘Is it because she reminds you of Anouk?’ Beth continued desperately. ‘Or is it because I couldn’t go through with it with Bruno? I let you down, didn’t I?’

‘I can’t breathe with you around me. You want too much from me. I feel like you want me to be everything for you – your whole world. It’s too much. It’s not normal!’

The words caught her with a sudden sting, Lisa’s accusations echoing up from the past.

‘Not normal? What about you? What about your family? You think you’re normal? Your sister is a mental patient, and your parents—’

‘What about my parents?’

‘Come on – you know what I’m talking about. Your sordid secret.’ She felt herself unravelling at the edges, the weave coming loose. But Corinne only laughed.

‘Oh Beth. You are so stupid.’