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fifteen minutes later with a small wicker basket heaped with sandwiches, and two glasses of orange juice. She edged on to the balcony and allowed Mary to take the tray from her. Mary remained standing while Caroline eased herself into her chair.
    ‘Have you hurt your back?’
    But Caroline said simply, pleasantly, ‘Eat, and leave some for your friend.’ Then she added rapidly, ‘Are you fond of your friend?’
    ‘Colin, you mean,’ Mary said.
    Caroline spoke cautiously, her face tensed as though she expected at any moment a loud explosion. ‘I hope you don’t mind. There’s something I should tell you. It’s only fair. You see, I came in and looked at you while you were sleeping. I sat on the trunk about half an hour. I hope you’re not angry.’
    Mary swallowed and said, uncertainly, ‘No.’
    Caroline appeared suddenly younger. She played with her fingers like an embarrassed teenager. ‘I thought it was better to tell you. I don’t want you to feel I was spying on you. You don’t think that, do you?’
    Mary shook her head. Caroline’s voice was barely above awhisper. ‘Colin is very beautiful. Robert said he was. You are too, of course.’
    Mary continued to eat sandwiches, one after another, her eyes fixed on Caroline’s hands.
    Caroline cleared her throat. ‘I expect you think I’m mad, as well as rude. Are you in love?’
    Mary had eaten half the sandwiches and one or two more. ‘Well, yes, I do love him, but perhaps you mean something different by “in love”.’ She looked up. Caroline was waiting for her to go on. ‘I’m not obsessed by him, if that’s what you mean, by his body, the way I was when I first met him. But I trust him. He’s my closest friend.’
    Caroline spoke excitedly, more child than teenager. ‘By “in love” I mean that you’d do anything for the other person, and …’ She hesitated. Her eyes were extraordinarily bright. ‘And you’d let them do anything to you.’
    Mary relaxed in her chair and cradled her empty glass. ‘Anything’s a rather big word.’
    Caroline spoke defiantly. Her small hands were clenched. ‘If you are in love with someone, you would even be prepared to let them kill you, if necessary.’
    Mary took yet another sandwich. ‘Necessary?’
    Caroline had not heard. ‘That’s what I mean by “in love”,’ she said triumphantly.
    Mary pushed the sandwiches out of her own reach. ‘And presumably you’d be prepared to kill the person you’re “in love” with.’
    ‘Oh yes, if I was the man I would.’
    ‘The man?’
    But Caroline lifted her forefinger theatrically and cocked her head. ‘I heard something,’ she whispered, and began to struggle out of her chair.
    The door swung open and Colin stepped rather cautiously on to the balcony, holding a small white hand towel round his waist.
    ‘This is Caroline, Robert’s wife,’ Mary said. ‘This is Colin.’
    When they shook hands, Caroline’s gaze was fixed on Colin the way it had been on Mary. Colin’s was on the remaining sandwiches. ‘Pull up a chair,’ Caroline said,indicating a folding canvas chair further along the balcony. Colin sat down between them with his back to the sea, and one hand on his waist to keep his towel in place. Watched closely by Caroline, he ate the sandwiches. Mary turned her chair away a little so she could watch the sky. For a while no one spoke. Colin finished his orange juice and tried to catch Mary’s eye. Then Caroline, again self-consciously conversational, asked Colin if he was enjoying his stay. ‘Yes,’ he answered, and smiled at Mary, ‘except we keep getting lost.’
    There followed another short silence. Then Caroline made them jump by exclaiming loudly, ‘Of course! Your clothes. I forgot. I washed and dried them. They’re in the locked cupboard in your bathroom.’
    Mary did not take her eyes off the multiplying stars. ‘That was very kind of you.’
    Caroline smiled at Colin. ‘You know, I thought you’d turn out to be a