She smiles weakly. I push her hair back from out of her eyes. She’s such a pretty little thing, so vulnerable looking.

‘And it’s bound to get especially claustrophobic on board, with all of us in each other’s pockets the whole time,’ I continue. ‘But it’s not all bad, is it? There are lots of good things about being here. I know I haven’t been doing this as long as you, but you’ve said so yourself before. Don’t rush into anything you’ll regret, please. Don’t throw everything away just because Antonio’s being an arse. We can report him, get him removed from the ship. It shouldn’t have to be you that leaves. It should be him.’

She shakes her head. ‘But it’s not just him. I don’t want to do any of this anymore. I need some space – I don’t want to be stuck in here with everyone all the time, with Jamie shouting at me. So many shows and lessons to do. All the time. There’s no let up. It’s not what I want.’

For a second or two I wonder if she is drunk, or on something. She seems muddled and unclear about what the problem actually is. What it is that’s really upsetting her.

‘And I’m too old to be bossed around by my brother,’ she wails. ‘Look,’ she indicates her arm where a bruise that looks like a handprint is already growing, ‘look what he did to me. That, and slapped me.’ She pauses.

I’m confused. ‘So it is Antonio you want to get away from? Not just the ships?’

She starts sobbing again. ‘No. No. Not only him. He shouldn’t have hit me, I know that, but … but … he’s never done it before. He looks after me. He’s saved me from myself many times. And maybe he’s right, maybe I shouldn’t be sleeping around. Everyone thinks I’m a slut. Fuck’s sake. I’m such a disaster. I don’t deserve him. I don’t want him to be sacked on my account. I don’t deserve anyone. Everything I touch gets ruined. No one needs me in their lives. Ever since I’ve been a small child all I’ve done is messed up people’s lives. No good ever comes from me.’ By now she is barely coherent she is crying so hard.