He stared down at her face, drawn and pale against the natural tan of her shoulders, and wished this hadn’t happened; that her sister’s small body had never been found. He wished with all his heart that they were back home, which seemed, at this moment, a hell of a way away.

‘Anyway, tell me about the phone call. What’s happened?’

He sat down and picked up his fork. ‘Someone pranged Blue Fish as they were trying to moor next to her in the marina. There was a swell on and she took quite a lot of damage…’

Nikki looked up at him, sorry for her earlier bad temper. ‘Oh, hell! Why did it have to be our newest yacht? Jack, listen…’

Knowing what was coming, Jack said quickly, ‘It’s OK, Nik. Dad’s going to fly down and check the insurance and everything for me.’ Yet his guilty heart had leapt at the thought of going home to all that was familiar, where he could do something.

Nikki, staring at the face she loved, felt equally guilty. She longed to be on her own, to take out, privately, the familiar wound that coloured everything.

She had felt pity for Fleur that morning, and now, strangely and suddenly, the bitterness she had fought all her life with her mother was beginning to seep slowly back. She felt confused and exhausted and craved space, even from Jack.

They stared at each other for a moment over their uneaten lunch, each hesitating to be truthful. Then Nikki reached out to take Jack’s hand.

‘Jack, go home. Go back, darlin’, and look after things there. Fleur and I have to wait for Saffie’s body to be released. We will be perfectly OK here on our own. There is James Mohktar and now the inspector…’

‘Nik, you’ll soon be beyond the safety regulation to fly…What if you get ill here and I’m miles away? I need to be with you…’

‘Listen, Jack. I could get ill at home when you are over at the marina. We live miles away from anywhere. You could say I’m safer here with Fleur…and nearer to a doctor.’ She leant forward. ‘Let’s take a day at a time, Jack. You’re needed back home. I must stay here with Fleur. You must trust everything will be fine with me and the baby, worrying all the time is not going to help. Please…will you think about it?’

Jack nodded. ‘All right. Nikki, stop playing with that food and go and rest.’

Nikki smiled. ‘Will you thank the amah and ask if some lunch can be saved for Mum?’

‘I will.’ He got up and kissed her forehead. ‘Try to sleep. Go on, I’ll bring you cold water from the fridge.’

‘You’re a very sweet man…’

‘Go, woman, or I’ll be forced to carry you…’ He made a face and clutched his back and Nikki laughed. ‘Don’t rub my size in…so cruel…’

At the door, she turned. ‘It isn’t that I don’t want you here, Jack…It’s just…’