When she demanded that we visit the beach at Brighton I discovered what had unsettled her. Searching for Lucy in the performers’ tent, we saw Lykiard and one of his concept artists lying in a deck chair behind the bar. Ignoring Sally, they embraced each other, and both seemed to hide behind the single pair of sunglasses. Sally stared at them, the pink flush fading from her breasts. She took Lucy’s hand and walked along the bar, scattering the paper cups with their brown stains.

Fortunately, she cheered up as soon as we left the festival behind and reached the beach. The incoming tide and strong black waves put an ironic gleam into her eyes. We parked on the hard shoulder above the beach and watched the waves splinter themselves against the wooden breakwater.

“Right!” Sally opened the door. “I’m going for a swim.”

“Sally … the sea’s too strong.”

“I’ll tell it to behave … it’s just a big puppy.”

I followed her across the shingle as she kicked off her shoes and strode to the water’s edge. The foam seethed at her feet, delighted to greet this beautiful and deranged young woman. I expected her to strip, but she stepped straight into the water, bare feet feeling among the stones. The waves smothered her legs, the sodden fabric of her dress clinging to her knees.

“Sally!” Henry had stepped from the car, model aircraft forgotten in his hand. The girls’ little faces pressed to the windscreen.

Sally strode out as a larger wave launched itself at the breakwater. The violent black jelly slid around her, clasping her waist, and the undertow dragged at her feet. She was up to her armpits in the foam, her legs trapped by the weight of drenched fabric. She let the next wave carry her towards the shore and stood unsteadily in the racing surf, waving to me with an apologetic grin. She was knocked from her feet in the surging water, pulled down, and carried into the breaking maw of a huge channel roller.

Warning Henry to stay by the car, I ran into the water, stunned by the wave as it struck my thighs. Wading out, I jumped chest-high through the next roller and swam towards Sally as she lay helplessly on the surface. I seized her shoulders and held her against my chest, stood up and pulled her to the shore.