The effect was not perfect – he would have been the first to admit that – but he had hoped that in the dim conditions of the kitchen he might get away with it. The letter, therefore, now read:

As you can imagine, with so many children at the camp we shall not require adult helpers. It is for this reason that I am writing to ask you (1) whether you wish your child to attend the camp, and (2) whether you are prepared to come along yourself as a helper stay at home for the weekend. If you can see your way to doing that, I am sure that you will have a good time, and I hasten to point out that adult helpers will not be required to sleep under canvas but will not be accommodated in the very unpleasant bunkhouse rooms which the Association maintains at the Bonaly site.

Irene read the letter, and then re-read it. She smiled. ‘A charming letter from that Akela woman,’ she said. ‘Do read it, Stuart.’

Stuart took the piece of paper from his wife and perused it quickly. He looked at Bertie, who was still hiding his head in his hands, and then he gave Irene an imploring look.

‘Bertie,’ said Irene. ‘This is a very interesting letter from Akela. Why did you change it, darling? Don’t you want to go to cub scout camp?’

Bertie did not move. From behind his clasped hands came a little voice. ‘I do want to go.’

‘Well that’s perfectly all right,’ said Irene. ‘Mummy may not be wildly keen on the cub scouts but I understand that you want to go off with your friends. With Olive and the others.’

‘Not her,’ said Bertie. But he spoke too quietly and neither parent heard him.

‘Of course it will be fun for you,’ Irene went on. ‘But all this business about not wanting the mummies and daddies to be helpers – that’s not what Akela really said, is it?’

Bertie said nothing.

‘And it would be fun for the mummies too, wouldn’t it?’ she continued. ‘I can’t remember when I last went camping. Can you, Stuart?’

Stuart shook hs head. He had given Irene a warning glance, but she appeared not to have noticed.

‘We’ll have such fun,’ said Irene brightly. ‘I think I’ve got a sleeping bag somewhere in that cupboard in the spare room. And we’ll probably find one for you too.’

Bertie took his hands away from his face. Rising to his feet, he rushed out of the room and down the corridor, back to his room.

‘Funny little thing,’ said Irene to Stuart. ‘What can possibly have got into his mind?’

Stuart looked up at the ceiling. ‘He doesn’t want you to go,’ he said evenly. ‘Bertie doesn’t want you to go as a helper. I think he wants to get away from … from us for a day or two.’

Irene looked surprised. ‘Surely not.’