e asked.

    ‘to the picnic.“

    ohe library.

    ‘No!“

    he pulled her harder.

    S him, “Charlie, I said no!”

    ,  meant no.  out in t. Semper for days.

    Surned  door.

    Full of anger, Co . But

    s slackened;  of to the picnic.

    t tty picture from a distance, in te ss. t sparkled in t, and t t looked soft enougo go barefoot. In reality, tering beneat to take to ill, to feign jollity, in t tense hing.

    A young man at t sig up near trange outfit accompanied by a lump of a man. t her.

    o respond to o see ention and fell silent in turn. A group of young ernally alert to turned to see , y turned to face truck dumb.

    Across the wide lawn walked Isabelle.

    S parted for ed for Moses, and sraig to tood on a flat rock t jutted out over ter. Someone came tole, but s, it  ake more to cool her down.

    Sook off ree and, arms outstretc o ter.

    to ter streaming from  recalled they gasped again.

    to ter er, after s ime. ty and condemnation. t in  time. But on t  doo ss, and people eful to  ty to life.

    One of t, ie and leapt into t of ime at all, ter, diving, calling, sing and outdoing one anoticism and splash.

    to go. t on t excited faces and splaso ter, uttering cries t tmost to prevent any excessive dampening of their hair.

    ts he men had eyes only for Isabelle.

    C folloo ter. ood, a little fartcs. ung as t from o t  bear to take his eyes off Isabelle.

    er  t  seemed an et