She watched as he bent forward awkwardly to open the door at the farthest end of the hall, and they staggered in together.

Bell closed her door again, her heart racing; she had a sense she had seen something she shouldn’t have. Had Emil collapsed? Was he physically frail? He was lean for his frame, but he’d seemed strong enough to her that night they’d spent together. More than strong –

Her phone beeped and she went back to check the message, already knowing it was Hanna.

‘Thank God! Been desperate all day. Hardest part is done then, hopefully. Yes, please get him to text when he’s awake. Send photo too if data will permit. Thanks Bell, for everything. Hx’

Bell scrolled quickly through the photos she had taken that day, mainly of Linus playing in the room as they had waited for Emil’s arrival, their exploration through the gardens. There had been none taken at the hidden beach, of course . . . She was sending one of Linus playing with the red Corvette when the sound of footsteps on the treads again made her lift her head. She ran back and peered out just in time to see the same man jogging back down the stairs. She hesitated, then followed after. She was here to protect Linus, after all; she needed to know if there was anything happening that might affect him. Emil couldn’t collapse if they were all out together, not in front of Linus . . .

The man had disappeared into one of the smaller rooms at the back of the house, opposite the grand spaces of the formal salons.

‘Excuse me?’ She stopped outside the door of the room, the gym. The man was inside, rolling up some mats. Weights and kettlebells were scattered everywhere; a heavy-looking battle rope lay, anaconda-like, on the floor.

‘Hmm? Oh, hi!’ He got up with an athletic bounce and came over, his muscular arm outstretched. ‘You must be the nanny? I’m Christer, the physio.’

‘Yes, I’m Bell. Pleased to meet you.’

He had his hands on his hips. ‘I heard you guys were coming today.’ He gave a grin. ‘It’s been a big deal, all he’s talked about for months. How did it go? He was pretty quiet tonight.’

‘Oh. Well. Yes, very well, I think. Under the circumstances.’ She bit her lip. ‘It’s not an easy thing, for anyone.’ Did he pick up on the serrated edge of her words?

‘You’re telling me. I don’t know how he’s got through all this.’ Christer shook his head in admiration. ‘Every time he was told he couldn’t do something, he went and did it. When the docs said he’d walk with a limp, he trained his left side twice as hard to counteract it. And in the weights room, when we were trying to reverse the physical atrophy and spasticity, he went longer and harder than anyone there had ever seen. You’d never be able to tell it now.’