‘Bit weird,’ she said, ‘all of us being away together, isn’t it?’

‘I’m glad you’re here, though,’ Jake said, kicking a rock out of the way with his trainer. ‘It was going to be crap otherwise.’

‘I’m glad you guys are here as well.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah.’ She smiled. ‘You can keep my annoying little brother entertained. Stop him from bothering me all the time.’

‘No problem.’

Ethan added, ‘We’ll keep him out of your way, Lucy.’

‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘Hey, how was your birthday, Ethan?’

‘All right. Did Nando’s with some mates. As of last week I’m officially the same age as Jake.’

Jake snorted. ‘No, Ethan, you’re not.’

Ethan smiled to himself. It was one of the weird things about his older brother: they’d been having this same stupid argument every year for maybe the last ten years, and he never failed to get riled up about it. It was one of those old, reliable subjects that Ethan could always fall back on when he was bored and in need of some sport.

‘Technically, I am.’

‘Shut up, Ethan, you mug. I’m a year older than you.’

Ethan smiled, half-turning to Lucy as they walked down the hill.

‘We’re both fifteen,’ he said. ‘His birthday is 19th August and mine’s 17th July, so every year there are like thirty-three days when we’re the same age. See?’

Lucy looked from one boy to the other.

‘Right.’

‘But not really the same,’ Jake said, gesturing with his hands for emphasis. ‘’Cause then we’d be in the same school year, and we’re not.’

They walked on in silence for a moment through the gently sloping vineyard, dry earth scuffing beneath their feet.

‘I’m seventeen in September,’ Lucy said. ‘I’ve asked for driving lessons for my birthday.’

‘Bet you’ll smash it,’ Jake said.

‘My dad said he’ll insure me on his car if I pass. Want to be the first of my friends to drive.’

‘Cool,’ Jake said. ‘Hey, you know what? We could have a go here, if you want.’

‘What?’

‘Take one of the hire cars out. It would be a right laugh.’

Lucy frowned, turning to look at him.

‘Seriously?’

‘Why not? The roads are dead around here. Good practice.’

‘What about . . .’ she gestured back towards the villa. ‘The adults?’

‘They wouldn’t have to know.’

Lucy looked across at him, trying to work out whether this was a joke.

‘Er . . . maybe. I’m not sure.’

They reached the edge of the vineyard, the vines giving way to scrubby grass and a dense copse of trees, a path winding away from them in between oak, pine and some others that Ethan didn’t recognise from home. The three of them moved gratefully into the shade beneath their branches. Lucy took off her straw hat and fanned herself with it again.