Her words melted in the air like thick syrup, and he looked over his shoulder to where Iona stood behind him. She knelt beside him, her eyes drifting to the tears he knew were leaking from his eyes. Then she turned to the pad, to the picture of the bird. He quickly shut it before she looked at the drawing on the other page. Before she recognised herself.

‘The bird – it flew into the tree.’

‘I know,’ she smiled. ‘I saw it happen.’

‘I was going to take it to the beach and bury it in the sand. It’s a sandpiper.’

‘I didn’t know that.’ Iona tilted her head to one side and continued to smile at him. She was talking to him as though he was a child and he didn’t like it, but he stood and walked out of the woods towards the beach.

The bird still cradled in his arms, he turned around to see her still watching him, grinning. He didn’t feel happy now. He never did when she was around any more.

Maria passed Susan the bottle of wine and watched her friend slowly fill her glass. They were both focused on the bottom of the garden where David was fiddling with the broken leg of one of the loungers.

‘I still can’t believe you’re actually going,’ Maria said.

‘I don’t think I have any other choice.’ Susan’s words were definite but tinged with sadness. ‘Graham’s made it that way.’

If there was anything Maria could say to make her stay, she would, but she also knew it was probably best for Susan. It would take something pretty seismic to change her mind now.

Maria watched Stella appear between the trees, kneeling down beside her dad.

‘I used to envy you having three children,’ Susan said. ‘I always wanted more.’

‘I know you did.’

‘Tess—’ Susan started before breaking off.

Maria looked across at her friend who tipped her glass to her mouth, her lips parting as she took a gulp of wine.

‘What about Tess?’ Maria asked.

‘Something’s got into her. She’s coming out with all these weird notions lately, and it isn’t like her. I think – I think getting off the island is the right thing for her, too.’

Maria bristled. She didn’t like change. But she had felt it coming anyway.

‘Do you think you can trust anyone completely?’ Susan asked, and Maria cocked her head as she watched David tossing the chair leg to one side, hands on his hips as he looked at the wreck before him.

She considered the question carefully and eventually said, ‘Yes. I do.’

What a fool she had been. Only two weeks later she would realise she couldn’t even trust the one person closest to her. And if she couldn’t trust him, then she couldn’t trust anyone.

PRESENT

Chapter Twenty-Four