Panic sluiced through me. ‘What did you tell him?’

‘That you need to be with your family right now. Which is why I also rang Harry late last night,’ Emerald said. ‘He’s been sulking, big time, at being falsely accused in front of all his friends and family of something he swears he didn’t do. And he was also sucker-punched by news of Kev’s appearance. He needed time to process it all. But he’s forgiven you—’

My face flushed, as though I’d spent too long in a hot bath. ‘Forgiven me?! That’s a bit rich.’

‘He swore to me that he’s never been unfaithful. And, while you’ve been away, he’s realised how much he loves you. He’s arriving any minute now to tell you so himself,’ Emerald went on.

I felt numbness spread across my lips. ‘What? But Brody will be here any minute.’

‘Ruby!’ Emerald barked in a glottal bass. ‘Brody’s not coming.’

Tears of anger brimmed at my eyelids. ‘But I’ve had a Kev-ectomy. I don’t have cancer. It was all a mistake!’ I blurted.

‘You’re in remission?’ Amber asked, her face alight with joy.

‘Ruby! That’s amazing! Oh my god . . . But how do you know?’ Emerald interrogated.

‘No, no, you don’t understand. I never had cancer in the first place.’

Emerald’s face froze in disbelief. ‘What?!’

As Amber grappled with her feelings of relief, shock and confusion, her mind was slow to grasp the reality of what I’d just confessed. When she finally spoke, her voice was petulant with disdain. ‘Wait. You never had cancer? The cancer was a lie? But I carried your suitcase! I let you win at Scrabble. And Monopoly. And cards, come to think of it . . .’

‘It was a misdiagnosis. And you didn’t “let” me win, Amber. You two are always underestimating me,’ I lashed out.

Both of my sisters were doing a pretty good imitation of the tropical fish we’d been snorkelling with these past few weeks. I watched their mouths opening and closing, silently.

Finally Emerald’s lips set like granite. ‘When did you find out about the misdiagnosis?’ she asked, her voice cold and metallic, like an antipodean Dalek.

‘The day after my birthday party. I was going to tell you, but I so wanted you both to come on the cruise to patch up your differences and become friends again – which we have! And then, once we were on board, well, we were having such a lovely time and all getting on so well, and you were both so happy. I knew you’d be furious that I got you on board under false pretences . . . So, I just kept putting it off. Then we were having so much fun that I forgot all about it. And then, of course, I had bigger things to tell you. Like the fact that I’ve fallen in love and am running away!’