“Do you mind us being here?” Ava asked her unexpectedly.

“What? I mean, pardon?”

“I wondered if you minded us building a beach hut on your beach. If you don’t like us being here, you can say, I won’t be upset.” There were crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes. “Well, I might be a bit upset, but we’re not going to shout at you or anything. This is your place much more than it is ours.”

“No, I don’t mind,” said Alicia. “I don’t mind at all. In fact I wish – I mean, I know I can’t, but if I could… ” She stopped, desperately wanting to be treated as an equal, a member of the tribe of Adult rather than a gawky teenager.

Finn looked tactfully away to let the pink drain from her cheeks and neck.

“We came here when were kids, you see,” he said. “We had this dream that we’d build a little hut and come and live here, right by the sea, and wake up every morning and see the gulls and the breakers.” In spite of herself, Alicia caught her breath. “Then we grew up a bit and realised it probably wasn’t going to happen.”

“Only Finn never really grew up,” said Ava. “He always insisted we were going to do it. And now here we are. For a few months, anyway.”

“Not for good?”

“Until midwinter.”

“What happens at midwinter?”

“Finn’s going home.”

“What about you?”

“I’m going travelling.”

“By yourself?”

“By herself,” said Finn. “I’d go with her but she won’t let me.”

“That’s because he’s got work to do,” said Ava.

“What sort of work?”

Finn smiled evasively. Alicia wondered wildly if it was rude to ask.

“He’s a writer,” said Ava. Alicia could hear the subdued possessive pride in her voice.

“Not really,” Finn said.

“Yes, really.”

“What books do you write?”

“Fairy tales,” said Ava, without the slightest embarrassment. “A children’s book called Urban Fairy Tales. He’s illustrating it himself. It’s beautiful.”

“That’s so cool,” said Alicia. (Did every word out of her mouth have to make her sound like the very worst kind of teenage cliché? Why couldn’t she sound normal?) “My dad just owns a pub. And before that he was a policeman.” (No! Why did she say that? Ava and Finn were glancing at each other.) “No, please, he doesn’t know I’m here. I don’t care what he thinks anyway, I think it’s brilliant – I mean, more than brilliant – it’s – oh – you know… ” She kicked crossly at the sand. “I pick my own friends.” (If they asked how old she was she’d die of shame.)

“You know, it’s really quite possible your dad hates me,” said Finn.

“Us,” said Ava.

“Oh, no, not you, just me. I told you, he… ”

“Finn,” said Ava warningly, and Finn subsided.

“So can I see inside?” Alicia asked.

“Fraternising with the enemy?” Ava smiled.

“And have a cup of tea? You said I could have a cup of tea.”