She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, smoothing his hair gently. ‘Sleep tight, okay? I’m just on the other side of that wall if you need me.’

‘You won’t leave me here?’ he asked as she got to the door.

‘Never. We’re a team, dude.’ She winked. ‘Where you go, I go. No exceptions.’

She closed the door with a soft click and hesitated on the landing, not sure where to go next. She wasn’t a guest in this house, but staff. She wasn’t expected to dine with him, although frankly, after the things he’d said to her earlier, she’d rather choke on her dinner than eat it with him, anyway.

There was no wifi on the island, so she’d have to go old-school. There had been books in the library, although they were the gilt-edged sort no one ever read. She’d spotted paperbacks in the snug, though, that tiny room off the kitchen corridor at the back.

She moved downstairs and through the house quickly, silent in her bare feet. She could hear a voice coming from one of the larger salons, the door closed, and nipped into the small room. It felt so completely different in there, like an apartment contained within the house.

A jumper lay strewn over the navy sofa; a pair of boat shoes with the backs pushed down were under the coffee table. The room had a curious feeling to it, like it was backdated. The TV was an old floor-standing set, with a DVD player below it, and in the corner was a stacked hi-fi system with a radio, CD player, and even a turntable.

She headed straight for the bookcase and scanned the titles quickly. Swedish, English, she didn’t care, she just needed something to absorb her mind and help her forget that she was stranded here, trapped in a waking nightmare with the man she had hoped – and now truly wanted – to never see again.

‘Oh.’

She turned with surprise at the exclamation and saw him standing by the door, looking equally shocked, as though it was impossible to believe they should both be here.

‘Oh,’ she said back, struggling like him to regain her composure. ‘I wasn’t prying, I was . . . looking for something to read. Måns had said I could come in here.’

‘. . . Yes, it’s fine. Of course.’ He gave a nod and after another hesitation, walked in, sinking down into the sofa. ‘Feel free to go wherever you wish.’ His stiff manners now were in heightened contrast to their bitter argument earlier.

‘Thank you.’ She stood awkwardly, feeling the blood rush to her head and reaching for the first book her hand came to. ‘. . . Well,’ she said after another silence, ‘I’ve found something, so I’ll leave you in peace. I didn’t mean to disturb you.’

His eyes fell to the book in her hands. ‘The Art of Angling. Really?’

‘Huh?’ She looked at it in dismay. Unbelievable.