Chapters (40)
- Cover
- About the Author
- PENGUIN BOOKS
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- THE BEGINNING
‘Why don’t I do that?’ Luke came out of his cabin, in a fresh white shirt and baggy jeans with a rip across one knee. His feet were bare. His skin was swollen around the cut on his jaw and he looked tired and subdued. His eyes were dulled, like lead. He was impossibly far away from her now.
‘Luke?’ she asked politely.
‘Mmm?’
‘Maybe we could get going in a bit, since we’re all awake – it’s probably a good idea for me to be on my way as soon as possible. I’ve got a long drive ahead.’
‘I was just being an idiot,’ said Mickey. ‘Just an over grown crappy idiot.’
Luke looked at his watch. ‘The lock ahead doesn’t open for an hour or more. We’ll get going as soon as it does – how about that?’
‘Fine. Thanks.’
Lorrie came out of the cabin. ‘Did I hear you talk about leaving?’
‘Yeah, as soon as we get to Béziers.’
‘Why don’t we all have breakfast on deck, one last time? I bought all those blood oranges yesterday which I’ll squeeze, and there are a few croissants which’ll be fine if we sprinkle them with a bit of water and warm them in the oven.’
‘There are some peaches in the fridge which need eating. And the yoghurt.’
‘Perfect.’
‘How’s Katherine?’
‘She’s cheered up now that Neil’s reading to her. But God knows what she’ll be like for the rest of the day. You’re lucky you’ll be out of it. How’re you doing, Mick?’
‘There’s a drum banging in my head. And I feel sick. And a fool.’
‘You are a fool.’
‘Thanks. Apart from all that I’m fine.’
‘Good. Take it really easy for the rest of the day, OK?’
‘I should clean myself up.’
But he didn’t move, and a few minutes later he fell asleep again. His mouth opened slightly and a snore wheezed from him every time he breathed out.
She just needed to be gone now, to be alone in her small, rusty car, music playing loudly and the road lying straight and grey in front of her. The sun rose in the sky, ribboning orange clouds on the horizon. The air was already warm and dry; it smelt of sheets that have been ironed, baked earth. She pictured the dry, dusty earth going down and down; no moisture anywhere; layers of light, friable grit with insects tucked into its open pores. She wanted wet mornings, muddy afternoons, saturated green fields, swollen ditches, grey chasing clouds, lonely starless nights. She wanted to be with her family again.