Thank God there was the same doctor in the first ward at the top of the stairs. ‘I’m sorry, but you must come,’ Nell blurted. ‘My granddaughter has stopped breathing.’ The young nurse, who had arrived via the lift, was only a step behind Nell. She nodded in confirmation.

The doctor calmly signalled to a member of her team to take over and followed Nell back down the stairs. She leaned over the baby, her ear to Naomi’s tiny mouth.

‘I have seen this before,’ she said with the same reassuring authority. ‘We will give her adrenalin, and then change the mist to nebulized salbutamol.’

She lifted Naomi carefully from her tent and carried her away.

At the door she turned to speak to Nell just as Willow, Ollie and Marigold rushed into the room.

‘Oh my God,’ cried Willow, half collapsing, ‘what’s the matter with Naomi?’

‘She needs different treatment,’ the doctor announced in a tone that managed to be both kind and authoritative. The woman had an extraordinary face, somehow neither young nor old, quite lined, but with a warmth that seemed to embrace all human beings. ‘She will be all right. Do not worry. But give your mother an embrace. It was she who spotted there was something wrong.’

Willow threw herself into her mother’s arms and wept. ‘Thank you, Mum.’

Ollie knelt down by her side. ‘Nell, we can’t begin to tell you how grateful we are.’

In their anxiety the two of them looked suddenly so young, almost too young to be parents.

‘Oh my God, if you hadn’t been here . . .’ Willow began.

‘But I was,’ Nell said simply. ‘And I always will be.’ She pulled her chair up next to her daughter. ‘I just thank God we all have each other again.’

Relief engulfed her so powerfully that she had to close her eyes and push out the terrifying thought of what might have happened had she not managed to find that doctor.

But she had.

‘I love you, Mum,’ said Willow humbly. ‘And I can’t even begin to thank you.’

No one noticed as Marigold silently left the room.

Penny and Moira picked their way down the narrow road, empty now, since the entire island seemed to have gathered at the top of the hill to watch the sunset.

‘I hope everything’s OK with Nell and Naomi,’ said Penny. ‘Do you think we should go to the hospital?’

‘Too many cooks, I’d say,’ Moira replied. ‘Wasn’t the dad due to arrive? Let’s go to the harbour and look for Nikos.’

The subject of Nikos brought a twist of panic. What was Colin up to? She wondered if she should try Wendy again, maybe get her to seriously look for him; but then she’d have to admit to Wendy why it was so important.