As a man much pursued by women, Darius knew they commonly used swimming as a chance to parade their beauty. But if this girl was sending out any message to men it was, I wear what’s useful, so don’t kid yourself that I’m flaunting my body to attract you.

‘Can I help you?’ she cried merrily as she bounced up the beach.

‘I’m just looking round, getting the feel of the place.’

‘Yes, it’s wonderful, isn’t it? Sometimes I think if I ever get to heaven it’ll be just like this. Not that I expect to go to heaven. They slam the gates on characters like me.’

Although he would have died before admitting it, the reference to heaven so exactly echoed his own thoughts that now he found he could forgive her for interrupting him.

‘Characters like what?’ he asked.

‘Awkward,’ she said cheerfully. ‘Lots of other things too, but chiefly awkward. That’s what my friends say.’

‘Those friends who haven’t been driven away by your awkwardness?’

‘Right.’

He indicated the house behind him. ‘I believe that belongs to Morgan Rancing.’

‘Yes, but if you’ve come to see him you’ve had a wasted journey. Nobody knows where he is.’

Rancing was on the far side of the world, hiding from his creditors, including himself, but Darius saw no need to mention that.

She stepped back to survey him, a curious look in her eyes. Then it vanished as though an idea had occurred to her, only to be dismissed as impossible.

‘You’re lucky Rancing isn’t here,’ she observed. ‘He’d hit the roof at you bringing down your machine on his land. Nobody’s allowed on his property.’

‘Does that include this beach?’ he asked, regarding the fences that enclosed the stretch of sand.

‘It certainly does.’ She gave a chuckle. ‘Be a sport. If you see him, don’t say you caught me on his private beach. He disapproves of my swimming here.’