From the back seat, the dogs began to let out a series of low, ecstatic whines and barks. At first Elle thought they might have seen a cat or a badger in the ditch at the side of the road, but ahead of her in the haze of the summer heat, she could see a man unsteadily walking along the road.

‘Idiot,’ she said aloud. ‘You could be killed, walking on a road like this.’ But that was tourists for you.

The dogs continued to make a commotion and Elle thought maybe the man was hurt or dangerous, and that was why they were making such a fuss. She gave the guy a wide berth as she drove past, not wanting to startle him.

Then seconds later, she slammed on the brakes.

When Rob heard the car stop in front of him, he thought it must be someone from the hospital, coming to bring him back.

The truth was, he could barely lift his head from his chest. After so many weeks in bed, he was weak and not used to walking long distances. He cursed himself for having left the hospital in the midday sun. He walked towards the car, ready to go quietly. It wasn’t until he got almost to the door that he recognised Ned Harte’s old banged-up Ford. But it wasn’t Ned driving, it was Elle.

For a full five minutes after Rob got into the car, there was pandemonium. The dogs threw themselves at him, both wanting to fit in his lap at once. In seconds, his face was covered in dog slobber.

‘I know you won’t believe it,’ he told Elle, once things were calm enough for her to drive, ‘but I’ve missed this.’

‘Oh, I believe it,’ she said. ‘They’ve kind of adopted me since you were in hospital. I’ve got pretty attached to these two.’

‘Where are you going?’

‘Where are you going?’ she countered.

Rob shook his head. He felt somehow that maybe now wasn’t the time for a declaration of love. Elle looked stretched tight, ready to break.

‘If you must know,’ she sighed, ‘I’m running away from my responsibilities.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Sounds desperate.’

‘It is. You’ve got no idea. There’s no way I can go through with tomorrow. I just can’t do what everyone wants me to do.’

He didn’t say anything to that either, though he knew unequivocally that she was wrong. ‘Let’s drive right down the coast,’ he suggested. ‘Away from everything. If I get spotted by someone from the hospital, they’ll want to bring me straight back.’

‘Do you mean you’ve escaped?’ Elle looked aghast.

‘That’s right,’ he said grinning. ‘They’ll think you’re an accomplice, so you better keep driving.’

Chapter 47