He turned back to his book. She sat down and began to pour out the tea. The trip to Baltasay was not mentioned again all evening.

Chapter Six

The Ruth Isabella always left Kinness early in the morning. In the summer there were so many hours of daylight that if the boat left at three in the morning, it would have been possible to see. In December she was halfway to Baltasay before it was dawn. It made no difference. The boat always left between seven and seven-thirty. The crew were usually at the harbour by six.

Jim had decided to go out with them. He could say goodbye to Will, and he would be an extra crew member on the way home. Sarah woke when he did and heard him moving carefully about the house.

She got up and dressed. In the kitchen he was making sandwiches by candlelight. He was concentrating hard on what he was doing. He was obviously trying not to make any noise which might wake her. She kissed him, touched by his care.

“I would have done that last night,” she said. “I should have realized that you would need something to take with you.”

“It’s no problem.”

“I thought that I’d come down to the harbour with you and see you off. I’d like to see Will again. You don’t mind?”

“Of course not. I won’t go if you don’t want me to. You won’t be lonely?”

“No. I’ll be glad of a day to get sorted out. I can finish unpacking, start thinking about what needs to be done to the house.”

It was true. If he was there she would feel that she should tell him about her conversation with George Palmer-Jones, about her jealousy of Elspeth. A married couple should share things like that. As it was she did not know how to begin to confide in him.

Outside Alec was waiting with the lorry. The air was cold and damp. It was still dark. They climbed into the cab with him. It smelled of diesel and fish.

“Sarah thought that she’d come to see me off,” Jim said. He had to shout over the noise of the engine.

Alec grinned. She was squeezed between the two men.

“That’s all right,” he said. “It’s nice to have some pretty company.” He put his arm around her. She squirmed away from him. Jim sat stiff and disapproving on the other side.

“Maggie always gets up with me on boat days,” Alec said. Perhaps he was trying to prove to her, and to Jim, that he was really harmless, tame. “She has to see to the milking and she says it’s a good time to get the baking done, before the boys are awake.”

She would, Sarah thought.