Page 82 of Summer Showers at Elder Fell Farm

‘She couldn’t have done. I would know!’

‘Would you now. Don’t you remember them nights when our mam used to babysit you?’

‘Yes but … oh … you mean …’ She’d been so young; of course there must have been things she didn’t know back then, but why had her mother never told her when she was grown up?

‘What’s skinny dipping?’ Oh hell. Harry had to ask, didn’t he?

‘It means …’ Amy began, trying to think of a way to explain it which wouldn’t make Harry want to try it for himself.

‘Swimming in the nuddy,’ said Peter.

‘The nuddy? Is that another word for the tarn?’

‘It means with no clothes on, Harry,’ Amy told him.

‘Nuddy? In the nuddy?’

Oh great. Harry had learnt another new word. Perhaps she’d better warn James before he got the wrong idea again.

‘Nuddy. Nuddy, nuddy, nuddy,’ Harry began to chant under his breath. It was time to take him back to the tent before he asked any more questions about his granny.

‘Thanks again for letting the boys take Jen for a walk.’

‘Yeah. Thanks. In the nuddy. I want to go skinny dipping. Can I?’

‘You can’t swim very well yet, so no. You can’t,’ Amy said firmly. ‘Come on, let’s go and get started on some tea. I’m hungry.’

‘Me too. Thanks, Mr. Thompson.’

It was only when they were half-way down the field, the sunshine pleasantly warm on their heads and the birds singing in the trees that it occurred to her.

How on earth did Peter Thompson know her mam had been skinny dipping in the tarn all those years ago?

* * *

The sun woke her, streaming warmly through the walls of the tent, after another uncomfortable night’s sleep. She turned over and a little voice beside her, said, ‘I don’t like sleeping on the floor. It’s bollicks.’

‘Harry, what have I told you about using that word?’

‘I want to sleep in the pop-top tonight with Oliver. Can I?’

‘Only if Oliver and Matt want you to. And if you promise not to play Goat Gunge all night. And you promise not to fight with him. And —’

‘Awesome.’ Harry cut her short before she could add any more rules. Was she starting to sound like Laurie? ‘I’m going to ask them right now.’

‘No, you’re not.’

‘Why?’

‘Because it’s half past six in the morning and they’re probably not awake yet. Go back to sleep.’

‘Can’t. I want to get up, it’s daylight. The sun’s shining. What are we going to do today?’

It was so bright there was no chance of going back to sleep for either of them, and the dawn chorus was a positive cacophony of birdsong. She envied Matt and Oliver in the campervan with their light-proof blinds.

‘Come on then, let’s get up. But you’ve got to be quiet, because nobody else in their right minds is going to be up at this time of the morning. Why don’t we go for a nature walk and see what we can spot?’

‘Boring.’