Chapter 1

David Ingles decided to play squash. He was not sure what the form was but he reckoned that if he turned up at the courts he might find a game and could then complete all the formalities. He had arrived at Cambridge University two days earlier to read for the Mechanical Sciences Tripos and was now installed at Trinity Hall. He reckoned he had organised his lecture and tutorial regime but wryly acknowledged that he might have to change it as the workload developed.

He changed into his squash gear and put a couple of soft balls in his pocket. All the courts were being used so he went and read the notice board and found out about joining the Hall squash club and booking courts. He was not going to achieve anything that evening so he went up to the gallery behind the courts. All were occupied but in one there was a single girl practicing. David watched her. She was good.

She paused and David leant over the back of the court.

"Excuse me," he said, "but I came down on the off chance of a bit of practice. Seeing you're on your own I wondered whether you'd like a knock-up."

She smiled up at him. "Be my guest."

David hurried down and entered the court. He stuck out his hand. "David Ingles."

"Moira Macintyre."

"Hi!"

They shook hands.

"I'm a freshman. Are you an old hand?" David asked.

"Nope! Fresh as you. Shall we start?"

They knocked up but inevitably tested each other. David knew he was quite good but quickly discovered that Moira was very good. The fact that she played with a soft ball was an indication of that but he marvelled at her control of it.

"Shall we have a game?" she asked.

"Sure," replied David, "but from what I've seen you're going to beat me all ends up.

She smiled at him and twiddled her racket. "Rough or smooth?"

"Smooth."

"Oh well, you won that," and she tossed him the ball.

David tried for a tall serve into the back left-hand corner. It was a good try but too strong. Moira's backhand went straight down the side wall and dropped in the corner. She took the serve and did just what David had tried to do. The ball died in the back left hand corner.

Her next serve to the right hand court was not as good and he managed to return the ball. Moira had to vacate the centre of the court to return it but it made no difference. The ball with David in hot pursuit once again died back in the back right hand corner. So it went on, a love game.

In the second game David managed a return that was out of her reach. He decided on a power game rather than the subtle one that Moira clearly excelled at. It did result in two rallies which he won but then she regained the service and those were the only two points he scored in that game.

They only managed two more games before the next players arrived. David shook Moira's hand and smiled ruefully at her.

"You thrashed me," he said.

She smiled at him. "Scottish Junior Ladies Champion last year," she said.

"Wow! No wonder you beat me. I was merely a member of the school team. Do you give lessons?"

She shook her head. "No and I don't think you really need any. You've got the theory. You just need a lot of practice. That's why I can serve the way I do. Hours and hours."

"Hmm. I'm not sure I'm that dedicated a squash player. To me it's just a fun form of exercise."

"So stick to that and enjoy it." She smiled warmly at him.

"When we've had a shower may I treat you to a cuppa and a sticky bun?"

She smiled again. "That sounds great although I'm not sure about the sticky bun. Meet you in Front Court in about twenty-five minutes. OK?"

"Very."

They both arrived simultaneously. Moira's hair had been tied back in a ponytail while she was playing squash. Now it hung loose framing her pretty face. It was auburn, curled at the ends and collar length. She was wearing a blue blouse and jeans which showed off her trim figure. David was impressed.

She was impressed with his appearance too. He was a good six inches taller than her and was wearing a red polo shirt and dark blue lightweight trousers. She covertly admired his broad shoulders, slim waist and long legs. It was a nice face too: strong but humorous.

"Heaven knows where to go," he smiled down at her. "How about that sort of direction?" He waved sort of half right from the gate.

Moira grinned. "You're the leader. Just remember the way back."

"Do my best."

They found a café. It was clearly not one of the popular ones but it was pleasant. Even though she did not have a sticky bun Moira had a flapjack, two in fact. David did the same.

They talked easily finding out about each other. Inevitably the degrees they were reading for came up first. Moira was reading English. She was not sure why but had always enjoyed it at school. Any degree was better than none, she felt, and therefore should be enjoyed. She was quite attracted to teaching or indeed becoming a literary critic.

"I might even become a best-selling author," she grinned.

She came from Perth where her father was a tax official and her mother a teacher. She had a brother who worked in Liverpool.

David's family lived in Wiltshire. His father was an architect and his mother a stay at home wife.

"Not that she's idle," he added. "She used to do a lot of show-jumping as a girl and young woman and still rides a lot. She's also a gifted pianist and takes part in local concerts."

Moira looked wistful. "I love music," she said, "and often wish now that I'd learnt the piano."

David had an older sister who was working in London. She was totally caught up in her life there and the family rarely saw her which made them sad.

They found their way back to The Hall and parted having agreed that David would book a squash court in two evenings' time. They exchanged phone numbers.

Both were gregarious and soon started to make friends who all seemed to get on with each other and they started doing things as a gang such as punting on the Cam, going to a pub together. David started to play college rugby and Moira hockey and the gang increased in size.

One of Moira's friends was Alison McGuire, also Scottish. She was also reading English and the two girls became very close. She came from Edinburgh so they were fairly easily able to see each other during the vacations. David liked her a lot too and found her attractive but the original friendship with Moira proved to be the stronger.