‘Don’t take another step.’ His hand was a steadying force and his voice was hard, forcing itself through the blind panic that clouded her thinking. ‘Breathe. Up here, you don’t run. You take small steps. You look where you’re going and you make sure it’s safe underfoot. I’ll get her. I swear to you I’ll get her. But I can’t do it if I’m worrying about you going over the edge.’

Jenna stood still, held firm by the strength of his hand and the conviction in his voice.

Fraser struggled to his feet, his lips dry and cracked from the wind and the sun. ‘You don’t understand—she didn’t jump. Lexi was trying to stop Matt doing it—we both were. But he did it anyway—he jumped at the wrong moment. You have to get it exactly right or you hit the rocks.’ His voice shook. He was a teenager on the cusp of manhood, but today he was definitely more boy than man. ‘Lexi went down there to save Matt. We could see him slipping under the water. He was going to drown. Jamie tried first, but he lost his nerve halfway down and now he can’t move. I dunno—he just freaked out or something. So Lexi did it. She insisted. She was dead scared about getting down there, but she said she’d done first aid so she should be the one.’

‘She climbed down?’ There was a strange note in Ryan’s voice and already he had his hands in his rucksack. ‘Fraser, take this rope for me.’

‘You should have seen her—she was amazing. Just went down slowly, hand and foot, hand and foot, muttering “Three points of contact on the rock face…” or something.’

‘She did a climbing course last summer,’ Jenna said faintly.

Last summer—just before everything had fallen apart. ‘It was indoors on a climbing wall in London.’

Nowhere near greasy, slippery rocks or furious boiling sea.

Ryan’s gaze met hers for a moment. ‘I’d say that was money well spent.’

Fraser was sweating. ‘I almost had a heart attack watching her. I’m not good with heights since I fell into that dungeon.’ He looked at Jenna, shrinking. ‘I’m really sorry. I tried to stop her…’

‘It isn’t your fault, Fraser.’ Jenna’s lips were stiff and her heart was pounding. ‘Lexi is not your responsibility. She’s old enough to make her own decisions.’

‘She’s as sure-footed as a goat.’ There was awe in Fraser’s voice. ‘Matt was face-down in the water and she dragged him towards the rocks. She’s been holding him, but he’s too heavy for her to get him out by herself and the tide is coming in. The water level is rising. The ledge they’re on will be underwater soon.’

That news made Jenna’s knees weaken with panic, but Ryan was icy calm. When he spoke there was no doubt in anyone’s mind who was in charge of the rescue.

‘Fraser, I want you to stay here and act as runner. Is your mobile working?’