Fall of a Philanderer by Carola Dunn

going back up?”
    With the girls’ pleading looks upon her, and Alec’s obvious lust for exploration, Daisy would have felt a monster if she had doubted aloud her ability to prance back up the cliff like a mountain goat. “I’ll manage very well,” she said, “as long as I’m not rushed. ”
    As they went on down, they came to a place where the path narrowed alarmingly in bypassing a large boulder. On the sea side, a few clumps of pink-flowered thrift clung to the top of a steep slope of scree.
    Alec turned his face to the rock and worked his way past crabwise.
    â€œIt’s not difficult. There’s all sorts of little knobs and cracks you can grip if you need to,” he encouraged Deva. She and Belinda followed without a quiver and passed him.
    Daisy, who had been certain her pregnancy barely showed, now felt as if she protruded at least a foot in front. She must not show the white feather, she admonished herself, especially in front of Belinda, whose grandmother would have forbidden this adventure on the grounds that only boys climb cliffs.
    â€œHm,” said Alec, frowning, “maybe I’d better call the girls back. I’d forgotten the extra inches around your middle.”
    â€œDarling, how rude! I’m not too wide yet.” She edged around the boulder, finding plenty of finger-holds but not really needing them. “See?”

    He grinned at her. “Another month and we’d have had to leave you behind up there.”
    â€œAnother month and I wouldn’t have made it to the top in the first place.”
    â€œNot too much farther.”
    The path grew easier from there on, and the girls went on ahead. Soon they called back that they could see sand below, and then they disappeared among the tumble of rocks, all shapes and sizes, at the base of the cliff. Waves dashed against the headlands in fountains of spume, but their force seemed to be spent before they rolled into the sheltered cove.
    Belinda briefly reappeared. “Mummy, there’s the absolutely best rock pool ever, with amenomes and gobies and a starfish! ” She had to shout to make herself heard against the muted roar of the sea. “Come and see. Come and see, Daddy.”
    â€œI’m going to find a good picnic place first,” Alec called back. “This knapsack is getting heavier and heavier.”
    â€œThat’s the Thermos flask of tea,” said Daisy. “Not to mention the lemon squash for the girls.”
    â€œI won’t mention it. I just want to put it down.” He picked his way across and between the rocks towards the small beach they had spotted from above.
    Daisy scrambled over to join Bel and Deva. She found them arguing over whether a tiny transparent creature with blue and orange stripes could possibly be a shrimp.
    â€œShrimps are pink,” Deva said dogmatically.
    â€œNot until they’re cooked, are they, Mummy?”
    No more than Deva had Daisy ever seen an uncooked shrimp. “I have no idea,” she admitted.
    â€œIf we catch one, can we take it home and cook it?”
    That was an easy question. “No. Leave the poor things be. What a beautiful pool!”
    â€œThree kinds of seaweed,” said Deva, as proud as if she’d done the decorating herself. “This pink ferny one, and the green ribbons,
and this green stuff like moss. Touch it, Mrs. Fletcher, it’s soft and silky.”
    To Daisy’s relief, before she had to decide whether to lower herself to her knees to touch something that looked to her unpleasantly squishy, Alec appeared around a huge rock and called to her.
    â€œDaisy, would you come here a minute? Come and tell me what you think of the spot I’ve found.” He was too far off for her to make out his expression, but his voice sounded strained.
    The girls didn’t notice. Daisy left them trying to catch in their bare hands the little finny fish that darted from nook to