‘Well, there was that,’ Moira conceded. ‘A toast, everyone!’ She grabbed her raki. ‘To Penelope, who has had enough of waiting for men, whether they’re called Odysseus or Colin!’

Penny raised her wine triumphantly. ‘I’ll certainly drink to that!’

Nine

Nikos was delighted to take them, especially when he learned that Penny was one of the party.

The following morning, they all trooped down to the harbourside and climbed on board his black-hulled, double-masted caique with its romantic dark-red sails. To complete its engagingly ruffian image, the bare-breasted figurehead smiled down at them from her commanding position on the prow of the boat. To Moira’s delight, there was even a crow’s nest high up in the rigging.

Takis and Cassandra had followed them down to the quay. Cassandra handed over a basket full of lunch and Takis a cool bag chinking with bottles.

‘This is getting better by the moment,’ commented Dora.

On the quay, the children and old men waved them goodbye. Watching them, Nell felt oddly touched that they had been accepted so readily in Kyri. She waved back, then nudged Dora. ‘Look who else has come to say goodbye!’

Dora pushed her sunglasses onto her head and squinted at the quayside.

Amongst the old men stood Xan Georgiades, staring at the departing craft. His face was blank, yet Dora sensed irritation if not open hostility. She saw him speak to Takis and could almost bet he was asking where they were going.

After Takis had turned back to the hotel, Xan still stood there watching them.

A sudden thought occurred to Dora. If Xan had found the statue and hidden it, and she was pretty sure he had, it wasn’t impossible that he had hidden it in the caves, as generations of pirates had done before.

Moira, meanwhile, was staring up at the crow’s nest. ‘Pity we don’t have a Jim Lad to send up there and look out for any enemies,’ she joked.

‘All you’ll see round here are day trippers and the occasional cruise passenger, I’m afraid,’ Nikos laughed as he instructed the youth who’d come to crew to untie the mooring ropes. ‘All the pirates are long gone. It’s hard to imagine an island as small as Kyri being the hub of the Levant, but that’s what it once was.’

‘But why?’ Dora couldn’t imagine tiny Kyri being the hub of anything.

‘We’ll go and see the caves and I’ll show you.’

Nell settled herself at the front of the boat and boldly took off her blouse to reveal a smart black swimsuit underneath. ‘Are you going for a swim?’ Moira asked.

‘You must be joking.’

‘Wait till we’re near the caves,’ Nikos shouted. ‘The sea there is amazing.’

Dora, more of an indoor spa person, looked out at the Aegean Sea in May and shuddered. ‘Rather you than me.’