‘So then, we’re all going back to the city tomorrow?’

Hanna’s eyes fluttered up to her, and back down again. ‘No. He’s out here for the summer.’

Of course he was. The entire city was out here. And last Thursday, when Hanna had gone to see him, taking the boat . . . That meant he had to be somewhere relatively nearby.

‘Well then, that’s something, I guess,’ she said finally, trying to find the bright side. ‘At least Linus will still get to have his summer on the islands. And with you beside him every step of the way, perhaps it won’t be so bad.’

‘You don’t understand.’ Hanna’s voice was flat and toneless. ‘I can’t be there. Not unless I leave the girls. And Max, clearly.’ She swallowed. ‘He wants me to choose – but the twins are three. They’d never understand.’

‘You mean Linus would be there alone?’ Bell’s mouth formed a perfect, aghast ‘o’. She reached forward – urgent, desperate. ‘Hanna, you can’t do that.’

‘I have no choice.’

‘Yes, you do! Go to court, take your chances. You cannot let Linus go and live with a perfect stranger, even if he is biologically his father.’ She stopped to draw breath, seeing Hanna’s defeated expression. ‘Shit. What does Max say?’

‘Exactly that. He’s with you. He’s enraged, been shouting down the phone at me all day. He says let the bastard take us to court.’

‘So do that.’

Hanna shook her head. ‘Believe me, I know my husband. I’ve gone over this from every angle and I have no choice – I have to let him see Linus. If I refuse, he’ll not just take me to court – there’s every chance he could go for full custody, not just joint, and I can’t risk that. He’s so angry with me right now that . . . I have to do what I can to keep him on side. Perhaps with time, and giving him something he wants, I can show him we can make this work and that he can still have a happy life alongside us. Playing along is my only hope. I know exactly what hell he could unleash if he gives his lawyers the green light. They’d destroy me.’

Bell was confused. ‘But . . . how? I mean, with what ammo? You’re Linus’s mother, an excellent mother. You have a great career, you live in a beautiful house, with a loving partner and family. What could they possibly use against you to take him away?’

‘They’d find something.’ Hanna looked away, staring into space.

Bell watched her, feeling her panic rise at Hanna’s acquiescence. She was defeated. She was going to let this happen. ‘Hanna, look, I can understand why you’re worried about a possible worst-case scenario of full custody, but there’s an actual disaster scenario looming if you let this happen. We both saw the state Linus was in when he came out of that room. This could damage him emotionally, being taken away from you like this, he’d be terrified,’ she said in a low, calm voice, the best she could manage. ‘Forget your husband’s threats – he’s just trying to intimidate you. As his mother, you can’t allow this. Linus cannot go and live alone with that man.’