‘How did you know what I was thinking? And for that matter,’ I said, letting go of his hand and turning to face him, ‘how do you always know what I’m thinking? You keep doing it and, frankly, it’s quite unsettling. Brighid did it a few times when I was over but you keep doing it. Is it some trick you’re born with here or something?’

‘Maybe you’re just easy to read.’

‘I’ve told you before, I’m not.’

‘And I say you are. Why do you think you aren’t?’

‘I’ve… been told.’ Not always in the most flattering way either, but I wasn’t about to mention that and just had to hope my companion’s magical powers didn’t pick up on that particular nugget.

‘I see.’

‘Seriously, if you carry on with the mind-reading stuff, I’m going to push you off this cliff myself!’

Movement close by made us turn to see an elderly gentleman watching us with a hesitant expression.

‘She doesn’t mean it,’ Lorcan called, laughing, holding his hand up.

‘I really don’t. I mean, he can be super annoying but his mum’s lovely and she’d be really upset.’

The man nodded, and called his spaniel, who had been rootling around, sniffing merrily away throughout the exchange. We stepped back onto the grass, allowing them more of the path on which to pass us. As they did, the man stopped level with Lorcan. ‘Lesson one of marriage. Don’t upset the wife when you’re near a bloody great drop.’ He patted him twice on the arm and then headed off inland and down what I now saw was a shallower climb.

‘Probably good advice.’

‘With age comes wisdom,’ I replied, sitting on a large, square boulder, likely once part of a wall, its edges now softened by centuries of wind and rain. ‘Even if he was wrong about us being married.’

‘Understandable considering the conversation.’ He grinned before taking a seat next to me on the rock. ‘You all right? We can go back if you’re cold. I noticed there’s a flask of tea in the car. We were obviously going to be turfed out of the house whether we wanted to be or not.’

‘I’m glad your mum suggested it,’ I said, staring out past the faded pomp and glory of the castle to the ocean beyond, the wildness of it completely suited to this rugged, but somehow serene landscape.

‘Me too.’

‘I wouldn’t really have let go.’

‘You wouldn’t have been much help.’

‘I know. But I still wouldn’t.’

‘I know. But sometimes you have to save yourself.’

‘Not always easy in the moment.’

‘Nope.’

We sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the wind and the waves and sea birds I couldn’t identify wheeling around above the ruins before disappearing back over the edge and swooping across the sea.