I nodded to the other swing. ‘Don’t mind me.’

Her hair was almost white, her eyebrows the same, something from a fantasy novel. A tiny wise ancient girl. She walked slowly to the neighbouring swing, giving me a wide berth as if I were contagious or might detonate, and carefully, after a couple of goes, edged her bottom onto it. She sat very still.

‘You have to move your legs, you know,’ I told her.

The boy came charging up and stopped dead in front of me. His cheeks were purple and mad tufts of hair spiked upward in the centre of the bandage. I thought of the cacti in the birdman’s house.

‘Who are you?’ he said, king of his territory.

‘Polly.’ I smiled at the girl.

‘Polly who?’

Precocious little shit. I narrowed my eyes at him. ‘Polly Eats Kids Who Are Too Nosy.’

He frowned. ‘I don’t like her,’ he said to the girl.

I don’t like me either, I thought.

He pulled violently on the chain of the girl’s swing. ‘I want a go.’

‘No.’ I sighed and yanked myself up. ‘Use this one.’

Her brother kicked off furiously, making whooshing noises, and I pulled back the chains on the girl’s swing. She gripped on tightly as she floated forward, the breeze lifting her hair up, white wings.

‘You don’t say much, do you?’ I said.

Someone was coming over the road, their arms folded. Oh God. Fraser’s mum. As she saw me, her pace slowed, just for a second, before she hurried up faster.

‘Come on you two peskies, time to get. Your ma will be home now.’ She didn’t look at me.

I took two steps forward so that the girl came to rest against my thighs and she hopped off obediently. The boy made a noise like someone was driving a drill into his foot, until he saw Fraser’s mum’s look and slid off, mopey-faced.

‘Go on, back to the car. Hands now.’ The boy took hold of his sister’s wrist and began to stomp off. The girl twisted her head back to me as she was dragged over the grass.

Fraser’s mum stayed put, her shoulders hunched, scrutinising me.

‘Hello, Jeannie!’ I said, with extreme brightness.

Her lips came together. ‘You’re leading my boy astray.’

If I’d just taken a drink of something I’d have spat it out, sprayed her with it. I looked out onto the loch, trying to suppress a grin, put my head down and scratched the back of my neck. ‘I think he’s quite capable of leading himself astray.’

‘What’s that?’ Her voice could have mined minerals.

‘Nothing.’

The kids were getting further away. ‘I don’t think you should see him.’

‘I’m not seeing him.’

‘I’m telling you not to.’

‘Fine. Whatever.’ There was a faint howl. I nodded past her, where the girl was hitting the boy on the arm, over and over. ‘Think you need to catch them up.’

Jeannie stalked off, giving me a final glare, a look that wanted to say I’ve got you pinned. I know you. What the hell? Yeah sure, I’m the drunk slut steaming in to deflower the lily-skinned princeling. Jesus.