‘Yes you are. I’m your big sister. I care about you and I can help.’

After a second, Izzy spoke, but so quietly Taisie had to strain to hear. ‘He kissed me.’

Her chest tightened. ‘Who kissed you?’

‘Nick. And he put his hand here.’ She touched her right breast.

Taisie went still. ‘What? That wanker. I’m going to tell Mum.’

‘No, don’t. Please, Taisie. Don’t say anything. It’s embarrassing.’

‘You have to tell her yourself, then.’

‘No! I won’t, and you mustn’t. Promise me, or I’m not going to help you. And I won’t speak to you ever again.’

Taisie held up her hands. ‘All right. Don’t be so melodramatic.’

‘I’m not melodramatic.’ She folded her arms across her chest and stuck her bottom lip out. ‘Can we do your plan now?’

‘Don’t be silly. It’s belting out there. We can do it tomorrow.’

But Izzy was adamant, fists tightly curled, her body shaking, an explosion building inside her, like a toddler about to throw a tantrum. ‘It’s not cold. And I want to do it now.’

Above them the rain battered the skylight, but Izzy was right, it was warm and muggy. Taisie had played the scene out in her mind many times since last night, imagining her mother’s face, her relief and gratitude, her pride in her eldest daughter. It would go down in family lore. The idea of not doing it, of letting the opportunity slip away, was too tragic to entertain. And Izzy being so upset helped; she could blame it on Nick. It would serve him right.

‘Let’s go through it one more time, then,’ she said. ‘You go to the river. I’ll be right behind you. I’ll shout from the woods so that you hear me coming and have time to go in. You swim out a couple of yards and then you scream – don’t go any further and make sure you can still touch the bottom with your toes. Then I’ll save you. You’ve got to act it properly though, Iz, in case anyone sees, or there’s no point doing it at all. So no laughing, especially when I carry you back. Mum’s got to believe you were really in trouble.’

Izzy was practically jumping with impatience. ‘I won’t. I promise. I’ll tell Mum that I thought I was going to drown and that you were amazing.’

Taisie hugged her. ‘I will be amazing. Don’t you worry.’

A scream, followed by a burst of laughter, startled them. A door slammed. Taisie and Izzy crept out on to the landing, then took the back stairs into the snug and to the old scullery door.

‘Go,’ Taisie said. ‘I’ll count to sixty and then I’ll come after you.’