Joey pointed towards the dancefloor. ‘Dom’s such a show-off, he’s teaching them some new moves. I’m gonna join ’em – you coming?’

Frankie shook her head. ‘I’m gonna stand at the bar and have a drink with that boy I know.’

Joey smirked. ‘You like him, don’t you? It’s written all over your face.’

‘No, I don’t. I’m just chatting, that’s all,’ Frankie said agitated.

Joey was full of suspicion as he watched his sister walk away. They knew all the same people and he wondered where Frankie knew the lad from.

‘Are you OK?’ Dominic asked, as Joey joined him on the dancefloor.

‘Yeah, sort of. Do us a favour, Dom, you’re taller than me. Keep an eye on Frankie, she’s standing up the bar with some bloke with dark hair. I don’t like the look of him. I don’t know why, but keep watch for me.’

‘Frankie will be fine. You’re just being overprotective, as any decent brother should,’ Dominic whispered in his ear.

Frankie felt like an idiot as she stood up at the bar alone.

‘Wanna dance?’ some spotty-faced jerk in dungarees asked her.

‘Fuck off,’ she replied angrily.

‘Worried I’d forgotten about ya, was ya?’ said a voice beside her.

Jed’s confidence was appealing and Frankie couldn’t help but giggle. ‘I was hoping you had. I prefer him over there,’ she said, pointing at Mr Dungarees.

Jed laughed. ‘Let’s go outside, we can have a proper chat. I can’t hear meself think in here.’

As she followed Jed outside, Frankie was nervous, but also excited. The Berwick Manor was remote and, apart from a few revellers and a mass of parked cars, the outside was a kind of ghost town.

‘Follow me,’ Jed said, leading her away from the car park.

After a five-minute walk, Jed grabbed her hand and sat down by a tree. Not backwards in coming forwards, he pinned Frankie down on the sweet-smelling grass and plunged his tongue down the back of her throat.

Frankie succumbed to his kiss and then, as realisation kicked in, pushed him away. ‘I thought you wanted to talk,’ she said defensively.

Jed smiled. Her face was even prettier when she was angry. His mum was always trying to fix him up with fellow travelling girls. He’d slept with loads, but none of them had captured his heart. They were too common and tarty for him. Not like Frankie – she was feisty and beautiful.

Jed held her hand. ‘Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to be forward, but I had to kiss you. I remember you now. You were the little rawnie who stole my heart at Pat Murphy’s party. Memory like an elephant, me. I think you came to me dad’s house once and I sat in a car with ya.’