‘Near Dover, England. You? Dennis doesn’t sound very Greek.’

‘Born here, but my grandparents were English, from Portsmouth. My grandfather started the business just after the last war. Needless to say, I’ve been diving since I was a kid. You’re clearly qualified, but there’s a lot of rigmarole getting the permissions for that dive. It’s listed as a British war grave. Also, the Greeks control the deep dives because of antiquities, even though the wreck’s owned by an Englishman, Simon Mills. All in all, it’s a paperwork nightmare.’

He stared out across the water, as people who love the sea always do. Calm, content, at peace with himself and the world. She smiled, understanding exactly where he was at.

He returned from his daydream and continued. ‘On top of that, there has to be a remotely operated vehicle, and a Greek official watching and recording everything that goes on with regard to the wreck.’

‘I see, sounds complicated. I should have done some research before I came over. To be honest, it was a last-minute trip.’ She peered across the bay at a lighthouse on the rocky promontory that led into the harbour. He followed her eyes.

‘One of the oldest lighthouses in Greece, takes its name from the little church next to it, Agios Nikolaos, St Nicholas. Built on the ruins of Poseidon’s temple in 1831.’

‘Poseidon’s temple?’ She smiled. ‘Interesting.’

He nodded. ‘It was in use when the Britannic went down, though not lit, of course, as the Britannic went down in daylight.’

‘Did she sink far from here?’

‘No, just over a mile, or three kilometres if you like, out from the lighthouse there, and a little to the right.’ Diamond light glanced off the perpetual motion of the bay ‘Why do you want to dive the Britannic?’ he asked.

‘My great-grandmother was a nurse on the ship.’

His eyebrows went up. ‘That’s interesting, did she survive?’

‘Yes, she did.’

He turned his attention back to the open water. ‘There’s talk about it being made into a museum, did you know?’

She shook her head. ‘Surely they’re not going to try and lift part of it? That would be impossible. She’s nine hundred feet long. Without a doubt she’d break up and a century-old ecosystem would be lost, all because some entrepreneur wants to make a few bob.’ She caught his calming look and wondered how many panicked dive students he had settled with that steady gaze.