‘Ready?’ he asked, holding his hand out for hers. They were standing on the shore together. Apparently this was the only way in – at pace.

Reluctantly she put her hand in his, feeling his fingers close around her, skin on skin. There was an awful lot of skin on display. He had changed into bathing shorts, the likes of which had never been seen on the isle and had almost caused Old Fin to swallow his false teeth as he’d emerged, changed, from the factor’s house. She was wearing a winter chemise of her mother’s – boiled wool the colour of porridge that hung away from her body with angles she didn’t possess. She was painfully aware, too, of the tan line on her legs, which stopped quite abruptly at her knees, but her new swimming tutor seemed not to have noticed. ‘Three, two, one – go!’

Without hesitation, he led the barefoot charge over the stony shore, tugging her along into the icy water. She gasped, she shrieked, but – propelled by him – her legs kept moving, and as the depth increased quickly, the water tangled around her knees, bringing her down. She landed with an almighty splash, surfacing moments later with wide eyes and a lungful of air. ‘Oh! Oh!’ she gasped, laughing, feeling borderline hysterical from the shock. ‘That is so cold!’

‘I know,’ he gasped back. ‘It’s horrific. Which is why you have to keep moving. Quick now. Come here.’

She shook her head. ‘I don’t want to go deep.’

‘We won’t. You’ll be able to stand at all times, I promise.’

She waded over to him, her elbows held high. Already she was shivering, her skin covered with goosebumps. ‘Now lie back. I’m going to hold your shoulders so you don’t sink. You must trust me. I won’t let go at any point. I just want you to feel the sensation of lying in the water, of floating.’

She shook her head. ‘No. That doesn’t sound good. I don’t like the sound of that.’

He pulled back. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, you must be the wrong Effie Gillies. How terribly embarrassing – I meant to teach the other one, the fearless one who can beat the boys at their own game.’

Her eyes narrowed at his tease. In the next instant, she lay back, her toes sticking out of the water and feeling his hands upon her shoulders, buoying her up.

‘There? It’s not so bad, is it?’ he asked, looking down at her as he began to walk backwards slowly, pulling her along. ‘Keep your mouth closed, your eyes too if you like. Just get used to the feeling of floating in the water.’

She did as he instructed but she was too aware of his eyes upon her and she opened them again. She could feel her feet beginning to drop below the water.