There wasn’t even time to scream as she and Emil landed side-on in the water, instantly surrounded by millions of tiny bubbles hissing and fizzing around them that cleared as quickly as they’d come. For a moment – just one – his face was all she could see in the deep blue sea, his sad eyes not hidden for once by the armour of his shades. Away from the crew’s chatter and Linus’s over-excitement and the billionaire boat, there was just peace and stillness as they looked at each other underwater. No distraction, no filters, no hiding.

The air in their lungs made them buoyant and they popped up to the surface, the real world coming back into full colour and sound.

‘Linus!’ she hollered, remembering her indignation. ‘You are a cheeky monkey!’

The weather was fully on the turn. It was still bright and warm, but the wind had picked up and the clear skies had become heavier through the afternoon, the razor-line of the horizon now blurred into indistinction.

Mats didn’t like the look of it and had ordered the crew to get ready to set sail again. Bell was sunbathing on a towel; she didn’t need to tan, but it gave her an excuse to be out of the way – both of the crew, and Linus and Emil beside her, who were now deep in conversation. Or rather, Linus was machine-gunning Emil with question after question about the boat: ‘What’s a Code Zero spinnaker?’; ‘Can it tip over?’; ‘Has it tipped over?’; ‘Have any men gone overboard? Have any men been lost at sea?’; ‘Have any drowned?’; ‘Why aren’t you skipper?’

Bell was listening with one ear open, and heard Emil stall at that last one.

‘Can’t you sail any more?’ Linus pressed.

‘I can sail, of course, but a craft like this is technical and highly physical.’

‘So you’re not strong enough?’

There was another pause. ‘It’s not just a question of strength, Linus.’

‘What, then?’

‘. . . Well, obviously I could do it.’

She heard the sound of footsteps.

‘Your dad’s right, little man,’ said the Aussie voice. ‘I know it might look easy, but trust me, this isn’t for amateurs. This is an expensive boat. It can go four times faster than the wind. It’s best to leave it to professionals, and you guys just clip on and enjoy the ride.’

There was a small silence and then Emil spoke. ‘Well, I don’t have to do that, clearly.’

Bell heard the silence and turned her head, seeing Mats frozen in a crouch in front of Linus, holding out his bespoke, all-black Linea life jacket. ‘Well, no, I didn’t mean you . . .’ But his hesitation betrayed evident uncertainty.

‘Will you skipper us home, then?’ Linus asked him, green eyes shining with the wonderment that accompanied his new-found father’s every move.

Bell felt her stomach tighten. Linus wasn’t challenging his father; he was investing his hopes in him, which was worse. She sat up, her dread growing again.