“I’m beat.” Sally decked the oars and let the skiff drift on the water. “Time for my rest.”

“I’ll take over.”

“No. Too risky. It’s good for me, anyway.”

Taking my hand, she left her seat, stepped along the trembling boat, and sank beside me onto the cushions. She wiped away the sweat that matted her blond hair to her forehead. We drifted on the ebbing water, sealed off from the world by the wild grass and the slopes of silky mud.

“That sounds like Jackie.” Sally raised her head to the warning hoot of a disturbed waterfowl in the reeds. “No, too far.”

“She’s gorgeous, Sally … you’re very lucky.”

She leaned her head against my shoulder and held my hand, tracing my palm lines with a cracked fingernail as if to remember my strange life. “She’s great. Edward adores her. She’s getting on really well at the remedial classes and made masses of friends.”

“And she’ll have company soon. Is it a boy or girl? You can choose these days.”

“No, thanks! I don’t want to know. Boy or girl, it’s going to decide.” She pressed my hand to her belly and chortled when I felt the child kick. “Beware of pregnant women, Jim. You’ve spent a lot of time with them.”

“I loved every minute—let me know if you ever get bored with Edward.”

“I won’t get bored.” She closed my hand around my lifeline. “Do you remember when Miriam was pregnant?”

“I never knew her when she wasn’t. Believe me, she was twice your size.”

“Happy to hear it. I’m going to be thrice my size. Do you think I’ve changed?”

“Completely. David’s going to be amazed.”

“It was time to change. For you, too, Jim. Those were wonderful years, but … I keep looking at Edward and little Jackie and I’m so glad. We must have been very, very sane to act so crazily and get away with it.”

“Not everyone did.”

“Like David? I know.”

“You’ll be surprised. David’s a lot better—he runs his air-freight company in Brussels. He and his girlfriend are trying to adopt an Asian child…”

“David’s dead.” Sally dropped her hand into the water. “I heard it in his voice. He died years ago.”

“That’s unfair. And it’s not true—you could say that about me. Peggy Gardner frequently does…”

“No—everyone knew what you were looking for. But David? Still, I’m glad he’s all right.” She smiled to herself, avoiding my eyes. “I tried to call Dick Sutherland—we keep seeing him on a children’s programme. He’s Jackie’s favourite doctor.”