‘Let’s sail to the horizon and see what happens,’ he says.

‘Sounds like a good plan to me.’

55

The Windfarm

Through her goggles, the water is green and opaque whilst she’s near the shore, but as Claire swims further out it clears. She can see the rippled sand way below and a crab scrabbling across it as her shadow crosses. Who needs to go abroad when it’s like this?

She’s motoring now and she notices the bubbles as she blows out through her nose, rhythmically breathing every third stroke. She’s heading for the furthest swimming buoy and she feels giddy with her own bravery. Claire felt the call of the sea so strongly this morning, she had to get in. This is the first time she’s swum on her own. Dominica is busy, Tor and Lotte have gone to see Alice, and Helga should be on her way to see Linus. Maddy says she’s flat-hunting with Jamie, but so far it sounds has if it’s been a bit stressful trying to find somewhere they can afford.

At water level, as she turns her head one way, she can see the wind farm turbines, and, to the other side, she can see the Grand Hotel like a big vanilla ice cream cake. The pier is in the distance, the rides whirring and she can hear the faint screams of delighted thrill-seekers on the breeze. It’s horrifying to think that Jamie fell all that way.

She’s so glad Maddy has got her son back and she thinks about her boys Ash and Felix at home cleaning, hardly able to believe it.

‘Saturday when you swim is going to be our cleaning day,’ Ash announced this morning. ‘Dad, Felix and I agreed. We’re going to put on really loud music and we’re going to clean while you’re out.’

‘We thought about what you said,’ Pim said. ‘We’ve decided it’s about time we pulled our weight.’

Claire finishes her swim and feels tired, but exhilarated when she gets home. She’s expecting to hear the boys in the living room, but instead, the house is gleaming. Pim greets her with a herbal tea. ‘Have a quick bath,’ he says. ‘Then get dressed. We’re going on a trip.’

‘A trip?’

‘We’re going on a boat to the wind farm,’ Felix says.

‘Are we?’

‘And we’re taking a picnic,’ Ash announces and then remembers something and runs downstairs. She can hear the timer on the oven.

Claire pulls an impressed face at Pim as Felix follows him.

‘We were talking about careers,’ Pim explains. ‘Felix is serious about engineering.’

‘Oh?’

‘And Ash quoted you.’

‘Me?’

‘Yes, something about just needing to look outside our own front door for all the answers.’

‘I said that?’

‘You did. You’re very wise,’ he says, giving her an affectionate squeeze and then pushing her into the bathroom. ‘Hurry up. We’re leaving soon. I’m getting the bikes ready.’

Forty minutes later, as Claire locks the front door, she sees an estate agent is knocking a ‘For Sale’ sign to Rob and Jenna’s fence and she smiles at Pim, who beams back. She’d heard a rumour that they were moving, since they couldn’t get planning permission, and she listens briefly for a second to the birds chirruping in the tree she saved.