Not wanting to threaten the delicate truce between them, Katy relaxed back in her seat and enjoyed the Spanish countryside.

They drove along dusty roads, passing olive groves and almond trees, and Katy suddenly felt happier than she had for ages.

Whatever he’d done in the past, she couldn’t help loving him and just being with him made her feel good.

They’d been driving for about an hour when they approached a small village and Katy noticed a crowd gathered by the side of the road.

‘Stop, Jago!’ she cried out, and put a hand on his arm. ‘Something’s wrong. Someone’s on the ground—there must have been an accident.’

Jago responded immediately, pulling into the side of the road. In an instant Katy was out of the car.

A young woman was lying on the pavement, clutching her throat, struggling for air.

Her heart thumping frantically against her chest, Katy dropped to her knees, making a diagnosis without even the briefest hesitation. She knew instantly what she was seeing.

She’d seen it before.

‘Get away from her and give her some air,’ she said, aware that they were looking at her blankly. Fortunately, at that moment Jago appeared by her side and spoke in fluent Spanish. The crowd parted instantly.

‘She’s in anaphylactic shock,’ Katy muttered. ‘Her lips and tongue are swollen and she’s wheezing badly. Ask them what happened. Has she been stung?’

There was a rapid exchange of Spanish and then Jago hunkered down beside her. ‘They say that she was stung by a bee a few minutes ago.’ He sucked in a breath as he looked at the young woman. ‘She’s bad and I don’t have anything in my car.’

‘My handbag.’ Katy looked up at him, her blonde hair flopping over her face. She scraped it away with an impatient hand. ‘Get my handbag, quickly.’

Without arguing, Jago did as she requested, returning in seconds with the bag she’d left in the footwell of the car.

She snapped it open and rummaged to find what she needed.

‘Where was she stung?’

She addressed her question to Jago, who translated quickly and then turned back to Katy.

‘Above her eye.’

‘We’ve got to get that sting out.’ Katy located the sting and then removed it quickly with some forceps that she always kept in her bag.

‘We need to give her some adrenaline.’ She reached into her bag again and removed a small box that she always carried. ‘I presume someone has called an ambulance?’

‘It’s on its way,’ Jago said, looking at her in stunned disbelief. ‘What have you got there?’

‘Adrenaline and hydrocortisone,’ Katy muttered. ‘I always carry it.’

Aware of the horrified murmurings of the crowd, she jabbed the woman in the arm and delivered the adrenaline as fast as she could. Then she picked up the other syringe, brisk and competent.

She knew exactly what needed to be done and she knew that it needed to be done quickly.

‘Can you squeeze her arm for me?’