There was an outdoor jacuzzi but Molly’s earlier prediction that the day would turn warmer had been wrong. Dark clouds had swept in through the early afternoon and light rain had increased to a deluge that blurred the boundaries of the garden and shimmied over the patio. The hotel wasn’t taking any risks – a sign went up to say the jacuzzi had been closed for safety reasons. So, for the rest of the afternoon, Molly drifted between the pool, sauna and steam room.

Amelia didn’t return after her massage. Molly wondered if she had an assignation with the waiter; he’d never been mentioned again. She hadn’t wanted to ask, and Amelia hadn’t volunteered information. Perhaps she hadn’t wanted Molly spoiling her fun.

Rain, driven by the wind, played a noisy staccato rhythm on the floor-to-ceiling windows that surrounded the pool and in the background, much further away, there was a low rumbling of thunder. Molly pulled her robe on over her swimsuit and stood looking out over the deluged garden. After such a promising start, the day had taken on grim shades of grey that suited her mood. She wished she’d not told Amelia about the man she’d met. It had been a harmless fantasy, now it was spoiled. Molly shivered and wrapped her arms across her chest.

Turning away from the window, she looked at the clock that hung over the entrance. It was four thirty. She’d go back to her room and ring Jack. Maybe later, she’d come back and do a few more lengths before calling it a day. It wasn’t as much fun on her own.

Back in her bedroom, she picked up her mobile and pressed the speed dial key for Jack, breathing a huff of pleasure when it was answered. ‘Hi,’ she said.

‘Hello, hang on.’ Sounds in the background told her he was in a pub, the noise fading as a door opened and closed. Wherever he’d moved to, it was quiet enough to hear him clearly. She thought he sounded a little tense. Had she interrupted something?

‘Hi,’ he said, ‘still having a good time?’

‘Really good,’ she lied, wondering as she did, why she felt the need to pretend.

‘Did you get out for your run this morning?’

It was the last thing she wanted to talk about. ‘Yes, it’s very pretty around here. How’s your weekend going?’ What she really wanted to know was who he was out with. Charlie again… or someone else. At least she could be sure, it wasn’t Amelia.

‘Fine, quiet,’ he said. ‘I’m with the lads watching the match in Masterson’s. Will you go for a run again in the morning?’