‘Disgusting,’ I agreed, and started to feel a bit better, but then I was knocked sideways by my idiotic sister bumping into me. Michael gave us both a cheerful wink before he turned left and started striding off up the hill.

‘Thanks for nothing, Mags,’ I hissed through gritted teeth.

She just gave me a sarcastic little grin.

Michael turned back then and called to us: ‘By the way, are you two ladies entering the crabbing competition tomorrow?’

‘I didn’t think it was happening this year,’ Magda replied.

‘Of course it’s happening – not going to let a silly little thing like a war get in the way of an important tradition like crabbing, are you?’

Mags laughed.

‘And it’ll be fun beating Kipper again . . .’ Michael timed this remark beautifully, just as Kipper and his father emerged from the village hall. ‘Calls himself a fisherman, but last year he couldn’t even catch a cold, could you, Kipper?’

Kipper glared at Michael and started to turn away. But Mr Briggs went crimson. He shoved Kipper forward with a snarl, as if encouraging his son to fight Michael Baron on the spot, but Kipper shrugged him off, stuck his hands in his pockets and sloped off down the hill towards the harbour. After spitting on the cobbles, and cursing ‘the flamin’ high and mighty Barons’, his father followed him.

Michael raised his eyes to heaven and grinned. ‘Well, I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow, then, ladies!’ he called over his shoulder.

‘Crabbing, Mags?’ I said. ‘Do we have to?’

‘Of course!’ she insisted, smiling broadly. ‘It’s a tradition! Come on, Pet. We’ll take the rowing boat and a picnic – it’ll be fun.’

I didn’t really want to go, but I could see it was suddenly important to Mags, and she hadn’t looked this happy about anything since the war had begun.

‘Fine,’ I grumbled. ‘Just promise me you won’t get too competitive about it. I don’t want to be drifting about in the boat for hours and hours until it gets dark.’ Just the thought of it made me feel cold and sick.

‘I promise,’ she said. But she had that wild, excited look in her eye.

I should have known then that something was going to go wrong.

Chapter 6

6

‘We’re too far out, Mags – there aren’t any crabs here.’

‘Don’t be daft,’ my sister said. ‘This is where you find the really big ones, Pet. Just drop your line a bit lower.’

I looked in the bucket at our collection of dead-eyed, razor-clawed creatures, all spider-legged and snapping and clambering over each other. I shuddered. I didn’t want to catch any really big ones.