first until I’d splashed around enough for my muscles to work and heat
the rest of me. After the initial bracing cold, it was like a fire slowly warming me through. So good.
When I got out, I wrapped a towel round my shoulders and stripped Katie’s jeans and sweatshirt off so she was just in her cossie, then I took her to paddle.
She flinched at first at the chilly water on her toes.
‘Ha ha, Popsicle – is that freezing? Deep breath before the wave comes again. Ready? Wheee . . .’
‘Wheeeee!’
‘OK, next time we’re going to run in a bit.’ I grasp her hand. ‘Now!’
Once she was in, she forgot the cold and splashed about, scrunching her toes in the sand. I bent to scoop water over her with my hands and she giggled happily and kicked some back at me. Then I
chased her down the beach, in and out of the shallows.
When I realised we’d been there nearly an hour, just messing about, I decided we’d better go back and get breakfast. My tummy had begun to complain. I called Katie to come back and
pulled my jeans and hoody on. When I looked up from lacing my trainers, there was a girl standing at the bottom of the steps watching us. I hadn’t realised from seeing her in the little
cottage window that she would be so tall, model tall and slim, with sleek hair around her shoulders and those exotic cheekbones and eyes.
We walked over to her. ‘Hey, you’re from next door, right? I’m Lou.’
‘Yes. Hello. I’m Katya.’ Her voice was accented a little, but her English was flawless. ‘I met your mother. She was very nice to mine. Very welcoming. This is your
sister?’
‘Yes – Katie.’
Katya smiled at her. ‘Hello, Katie, you are very pretty.’
Katie beamed. ‘Thank you.’ And she turned to me. ‘I like her, Boo-Boo. She’s nice.’
Katya laughed. Even her laugh had a Russian accent, which made me giggle inwardly, but it really, truly did. ‘Boo-Boo?’
‘Yeah, she couldn’t say my name when she was a baby. It was the closest she could get and it’s sort of stuck. Now she won’t stop. It’s Louisa really, but everyone
calls me Lou.’
She nodded. ‘The girls at my school call me Kat. I like that.’
‘It suits you with those eyes.’ I smiled to show her it was a compliment.
‘Yes, they said that. Is the water cold?’ She had a towel in her hand.
‘Very, but it’s worth it.’
‘I am looking forward to it. In Russia, swimming outdoors in winter is a national hobby. This will be nothing compared to the crazy people who break the ice and jump in.’
‘Wow! That sounds mental. How long did you live in Russia for?’
‘Until I was thirteen and then Papa moved us to London. It is good there, but I miss Russia also.’
I didn’t know what to say to that really – her eyes looked so sad when she talked about home – so I smiled. Katie tugged my hand. ‘I’m hungry!’
Katya smiled and cupped Katie’s face with her hands, long slim fingers with immaculately polished pink nails. ‘Then you must have your breakfast, Katyenka. And I have been keeping
you from it. That is very bad of me. Do you know we have the same name, you and I? Katie in Russian is Katya.’
Katie giggled adoringly and Katya gained a new admirer.
The Russian girl moved aside to let us pass. ‘Enjoy your swim,’ I said as we started up the steps.
She smiled and nodded. ‘Enjoy your breakfast!’
We left each other without offers to meet later. I sensed a reserve behind her initial friendliness and didn’t want to push further. When we got to the top of the cliff, she was wading out
into the sea, apparently immune to the coldness of the water as it didn’t seem to cause her to pause when the waves washed into her. She had a strange aura of sadness wrapped round her like a
cloak. She cast if off briefly to talk to my sister, but now she’d shrouded herself in it again.
Why was such a beautiful girl so unhappy and so alone? Her solitude was almost tangible. She was on holiday, yet she
the rest of me. After the initial bracing cold, it was like a fire slowly warming me through. So good.
When I got out, I wrapped a towel round my shoulders and stripped Katie’s jeans and sweatshirt off so she was just in her cossie, then I took her to paddle.
She flinched at first at the chilly water on her toes.
‘Ha ha, Popsicle – is that freezing? Deep breath before the wave comes again. Ready? Wheee . . .’
‘Wheeeee!’
‘OK, next time we’re going to run in a bit.’ I grasp her hand. ‘Now!’
Once she was in, she forgot the cold and splashed about, scrunching her toes in the sand. I bent to scoop water over her with my hands and she giggled happily and kicked some back at me. Then I
chased her down the beach, in and out of the shallows.
When I realised we’d been there nearly an hour, just messing about, I decided we’d better go back and get breakfast. My tummy had begun to complain. I called Katie to come back and
pulled my jeans and hoody on. When I looked up from lacing my trainers, there was a girl standing at the bottom of the steps watching us. I hadn’t realised from seeing her in the little
cottage window that she would be so tall, model tall and slim, with sleek hair around her shoulders and those exotic cheekbones and eyes.
We walked over to her. ‘Hey, you’re from next door, right? I’m Lou.’
‘Yes. Hello. I’m Katya.’ Her voice was accented a little, but her English was flawless. ‘I met your mother. She was very nice to mine. Very welcoming. This is your
sister?’
‘Yes – Katie.’
Katya smiled at her. ‘Hello, Katie, you are very pretty.’
Katie beamed. ‘Thank you.’ And she turned to me. ‘I like her, Boo-Boo. She’s nice.’
Katya laughed. Even her laugh had a Russian accent, which made me giggle inwardly, but it really, truly did. ‘Boo-Boo?’
‘Yeah, she couldn’t say my name when she was a baby. It was the closest she could get and it’s sort of stuck. Now she won’t stop. It’s Louisa really, but everyone
calls me Lou.’
She nodded. ‘The girls at my school call me Kat. I like that.’
‘It suits you with those eyes.’ I smiled to show her it was a compliment.
‘Yes, they said that. Is the water cold?’ She had a towel in her hand.
‘Very, but it’s worth it.’
‘I am looking forward to it. In Russia, swimming outdoors in winter is a national hobby. This will be nothing compared to the crazy people who break the ice and jump in.’
‘Wow! That sounds mental. How long did you live in Russia for?’
‘Until I was thirteen and then Papa moved us to London. It is good there, but I miss Russia also.’
I didn’t know what to say to that really – her eyes looked so sad when she talked about home – so I smiled. Katie tugged my hand. ‘I’m hungry!’
Katya smiled and cupped Katie’s face with her hands, long slim fingers with immaculately polished pink nails. ‘Then you must have your breakfast, Katyenka. And I have been keeping
you from it. That is very bad of me. Do you know we have the same name, you and I? Katie in Russian is Katya.’
Katie giggled adoringly and Katya gained a new admirer.
The Russian girl moved aside to let us pass. ‘Enjoy your swim,’ I said as we started up the steps.
She smiled and nodded. ‘Enjoy your breakfast!’
We left each other without offers to meet later. I sensed a reserve behind her initial friendliness and didn’t want to push further. When we got to the top of the cliff, she was wading out
into the sea, apparently immune to the coldness of the water as it didn’t seem to cause her to pause when the waves washed into her. She had a strange aura of sadness wrapped round her like a
cloak. She cast if off briefly to talk to my sister, but now she’d shrouded herself in it again.
Why was such a beautiful girl so unhappy and so alone? Her solitude was almost tangible. She was on holiday, yet she
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