‘We can’t,’ said Milly weakly. ‘Someone could come.’

‘God, I’m going to come if you keep your hand there,’ he said, stepping back a little and looking down the front of his body. ‘Nobody’s about,’ he said, tearing the Durex open with his teeth. ‘Come on Mills. Slip your swimsuit off, we’ll be quick.’

But I don’t want it to be quick, thought Milly. She wanted it to be slow, magical. She couldn’t say it. Instead, she nervously pushed the unflattering black swimsuit down, exposing her soft pale body.

Nipper was snapping the Durex onto his cock as if he’d done this a hundred times before. That made Milly pause. But then he was pushing her eagerly toward the bench.

‘Just lean over and rest your hands on there,’ he said, pushing her down. ‘Oh yeah, Mills. Your beautiful arse, I love it . . .’

And then he was behind her, pushing into her. There was a moment’s resistance, and then . . . Milly screwed her eyes tight shut and held her breath . . . it was OK. He was in. And it wasn’t magical or slow or any of the things she’d expected. It was quick and it was just like the animals in the field; it was no different at all. Nipper panted and swore and slid in and out of her at ever-increasing speed. He grabbed at her breasts and squeezed them hard, hurting her. Milly wondered if this was how it was for all women. Because that’s what she was now: a woman. This was what men and women did.

She turned her head and opened her eyes, wanting to tell him to stop, that she wasn’t sure about this, that this was all wrong, not how it should be at all. Then she froze.

Through the half-glassed door, she was looking straight into the mocking gaze of Harlan.

Milly let out a shriek. Harlan was standing right there outside the door, watching them.

Nipper didn’t stop; he probably thought her cry was one of pleasure. He kept thrusting at her and then suddenly he let out a yell and it was over. He gave her breasts one last hurtful squeeze and then drew back, laughing, triumphant. Milly was shivering despite the tropical heat inside the pool house. She was embarrassed, humiliated.

‘Christ, that was good,’ Nipper was saying, pulling off the Durex and snatching up a towel to dry himself.

She thought of the news on the TV, saying Princess Diana had given birth to William, a future king. It was a fairy tale, the royal marriage. Milly wanted that sort of romance in her own life. But instead, she had this.

‘Harlan was out there. He was watching us,’ Milly managed to say.