Lucy wasn’t in her room. Only her phone was there, plugged in to charge, winking and flashing in the darkness with more of the constant stream of updates from friends at home. The battery had died completely during our evening meal and I had been secretly glad to see her untethered from it for a little while, to have a conversation with her and not constantly feel I was trying – and failing – to compete for attention with the iPhone in her hand.

Back in the kitchen I refilled my wine glass and made my way down the stone steps to the pool, the evening air still hot and almost unbearably humid. Russ lay sprawled on a lounger, two inches of ash on the cigarette smouldering between his drooping fingers. Sean sat next to him, beer in hand, by a table clustered with glasses and bowls of snacks, empty bottles of wine and beer and a half-empty bottle of tequila. I could tell, in my peripheral vision, that he was turned towards me, trying to look at me. Trying to catch my eye.

I sipped my wine and kept my eyes on the swimming pool, where Lucy and Rowan plus Alistair, Jake and Ethan were throwing a volleyball between them, shooting for little goal nets perched at each end. Underwater lights set deep in the walls gave the water an ethereal, shimmering glow against the darkness of the night, mosaic tiles portraying three dolphins standing out bright and colourful on the floor of the pool, the water above them perfectly clear.

‘Are you coming in, Kate?’ Alistair gestured at me, his beard glistening with droplets of water. ‘We need a sixth for water polo.’

‘Not tonight,’ I said, as cheerfully as I could manage. ‘Maybe another time.’

‘That is a shame,’ he said with an exaggerated grin. ‘How about you, Sean?’

My husband shook his head.

‘Think I’ve had one too many beers. I’d probably sink.’

‘Nonsense,’ Alistair shouted, his voice bright with alcohol. ‘An invigorating, restorative dip is exactly what the doctor ordered at this stage of the evening’s proceedings.’

‘Reckon I’ll just watch, thanks.’

‘It’s also the perfect cooling therapy for the Mediterranean heat.’

Sean shook his head and sat back on the lounger.

‘I’ll take your word for it, pal.’

Lucy slapped the pool’s surface with her palm, splashing water towards him.

‘Come on, Dad,’ she said. ‘I need you to be on my team.’

‘Well . . .’

‘Pleeeease?’ she said. ‘You’ve already got your swimming shorts on.’

Sean sighed, took a long slug of his beer and put it down by the side of the pool. Pulling his shirt over his head, he kicked off his flip-flops and stepped unsteadily into the pool with a heavy splash.

‘Excellent,’ Alistair said, raising the ball above his head. ‘Let the game commence!’

Chapter 57

57