‘Well, well, who’ve we here? Found a bit o’ skirt in the mines did you, Harry?’ His eyes track to Lucy’s bare legs and he sniggers, presumably because she so obviously isn’t wearing a skirt at all.

‘I’m Lucy,’ she says, holding her hand out to Mitch.

He gives it a shake. ‘Lucy, hey?’ he asks, peering into her face, then, once again, flicking his eyes to her legs. ‘Not Jem Allenby’s Lucy?’

‘Yup. That’s me.’

Harry notices the way Mitch’s eyes fix on her chest. He’s probably heard something about it. The way the peninsula tends to be, Harry’d be surprised if he hadn’t.

‘You two haven’t met before?’ Flo asks.

‘Nope,’ Lucy says.

‘Actually, we have,’ Mitch tells her. ‘We met briefly at Falls years back. Harry was there too, remember, Harry?’ He grins at Harry, his head cocked to one side.

‘Oh really?’ Lucy looks at Harry too, as does Flo. ‘You never mentioned it,’ Lucy adds.

‘Yeah, well, it was years ago.’ Harry shrugs. ‘Didn’t think you’d remember.’

‘Hmmm. Sorry,’ Lucy says, ‘I don’t think I do.’ She shrugs and smiles apologetically at Harry, then Mitch.

‘Well, I remember,’ Mitch interrupts. ‘You were with Jem and all your friends from … Melbourne, I think he said. You hadn’t been down here long.’

Did Harry see a spark of recognition in Lucy’s eyes? She was certainly frowning now. What was she remembering?

But Mitch isn’t done. ‘Remember that Falls, Harry?’ he’s saying. ‘That was the Falls you passed out before New Year’s and vomited all through your swag. Those were they days, ay, bruv?’ Mitch gives Harry a nudge with his elbow. ‘We used to get up to all sorts of shit,’ he adds to Lucy. ‘Anyway,’ he continues, ‘don’t mind if I jump up in the boat and do me check?’

Harry feels like he’s underwater as Mitch climbs into the boat. His limbs have gone heavy with dread and all he can hear is the boom-boom of his heartbeat resonating in his ears.

He doesn’t know what to do.

‘What happened to your clothes?’ Mitch asks Lucy, obviously spying the sorry little pile on the boat floor and putting two and two together.

‘I had an accident,’ Lucy mumbles. Harry grimaces at this, and then again, when his mother lets out a nervous whinny of laughter.

Fuck. Neither of them seem to be able to play it cool. He wants to throttle the both of them.

But Mitch mumbles awkwardly, ‘Oh, right,’ as he eyes Lucy again. Then he says in a kind, father-like voice: ‘Boats can be tricky like that.’