‘I won,’ she says, running as far as she can into the water until it’s too deep and she has to dive beneath the glistening surface. She knows he let her win. He always does. But this time she feels strong as she swims out into the deep translucent pool. Sometimes she gets a twinge of cramp in her legs, a legacy of the accident, but not today.

‘I’ve been having some swimming lessons, up in London,’ Rob says a few moments later, treading water beside her.

Is he changing the subject, still embarrassed by her skinny-dipping habits? He can be a bit uptight like that.

‘Trying to improve my front crawl,’ he continues. ‘You know, the breathing. Will you tell me how I’m doing?’

He doesn’t wait for an answer and dives under, his white body shimmering below her.

‘Ready?’ he calls out, surfacing ten yards to her right like a seal.

Kate nods, trying to be enthusiastic. Rob has lessons for everything. Swimming, tennis, chess and recently beginner’s French – he needs to speak it for his work. All she wants to learn is how to paint people again. The accident put an end to that. Destroyed her ability to recognise faces too.

Rob starts to windmill through the water, all long arms and legs. She can’t say it’s an improvement on his previous style, but his firm bum is impressive. As he passes, she leans forward and tries to grab him where he likes to be grabbed when he’s not swimming. The result is spectacular, as if he’s swum headlong into a brick wall. He comes up for air, gasping and choking.

‘Was that you?’ he says, shock giving way to a smile.

‘I hope so,’ she says.

‘I thought I’d been bitten by a fish.’

‘Next time I will bite you.’

‘Is that a promise?’ he asks, coming over to kiss her.

She takes him in her hand again, gently this time, and pulls him towards her.

‘Do you dare me?’ she says, nodding at a rock at the back of the beach as they tread water. It’s overhanging the deep pool and just begging to be jumped.

Before he has time to answer, she swims off towards the shore.

‘It’s too high,’ Rob calls out, but she’s already out of the water and climbing up. ‘Kate, be careful.’

He’s always urging her to be careful, to lock the house, look out for strangers. It’s become a bit of a mantra. And she always ignores him.

‘Dive or jump?’ she says from the top of the rock, peering down at the dark water below.

‘Kate, please!’ Rob says, looking up at her.

‘You’re such a pussy,’ she says, raising her arms above her naked body. She feels good today. Better.