Euan returned with a box and they drove on down the long street, to the beach. He dragged a tattered blanket from the back of the car, then helped Keely out, lowering her to the blanket, with her back resting against a large pine tree.

She sat regaining her breath and took in the picturesque scene before her. A jetty stretched way, way out into the water and curved off into the distance. Closer to the shore there was a bright red train, toy-like in appearance, in front of a row of beach hut–type buildings with the Australian flag fluttering gently in the sea breeze. Euan sat the box of food on the blanket beside her. He lifted the lids from foam cups to reveal steaming soup and then unpacked crusty bread rolls, slices of quiche, bottled water, chunks of chocolate cake and firm bananas.

“I hope there’s something here you to tempt you,” he said. “Normally I don’t think a picnic is complete without a good bottle of wine but this water will have to do.”

He smiled and his face creased into the countless wrinkles that had fascinated Keely on the plane. As soon as he stopped smiling his skin smoothed over with hardly any visible lines. Like a calm sea after a storm. “Thanks.” She picked up one of the cups of steaming soup. It smelled delicious. Perhaps she did feel hungry after all.

“So, what do you think of Busselton?” he asked.

Keely looked along the foreshore to the jetty again. “It’s pretty.”

“The history here always gets to me. It’s one of the earliest settlements in WA. It was a whaling station and quite lawless in its beginnings. Maggie always says she wants to write a book about the frontier time, as she calls it.”

Keely took a tentative sip of the hot soup. It was pumpkin, just what she felt like. She blew to cool it and slowly sipped more as Euan told her some of the history of the town.

* * *

Euan was glad to see Keely had eaten most of the soup and some bread. She’d looked so tentative when he’d first settled her on the rug that there was no doubt she was still in pain. While they ate he’d told her about the history of the area and then he’d related some of the funny stories he knew about the town and she’d laughed, albeit gingerly, and appeared more relaxed.

Her face was pale and there were dark rings under her eyes. She looked gaunt, so different from when he’d met her on the plane. It must have been an awful experience to have a medical emergency so far from home.

“It’s bad luck your holiday started with a stay in hospital.”

“It wasn’t quite the way I’d imagined it.”