Entering the byre, Ava felt the warmth envelop her. The moos that greeted her showed no fear of what had happened overnight. A series of big eyes turned her way and their breath blossomed in the air. Ava suddenly remembered her childhood and how much she’d loved being in here with the cows.

The hens she’d secured in the stall next to the door came hurrying towards her, squawking their excitement at the food Ava now scattered. She would have to rebuild the hen house, of course, but in the meantime they could stay here, since the kye would shortly be released to graze on the new grass.

At that moment her mobile rang.

‘Ava Clouston?’

‘Yes?’

‘The Orcadian newspaper here. We wondered if you would be interested in covering a story for us? A Russian cargo ship has foundered off Yesnaby. It’s believed to be a ghost ship, probably abandoned mid-Atlantic. The coastguard and police are on site already. Is that something you’d be interested in?’

‘Of course,’ Ava said, her heart lifting. ‘Do we know the ship’s name?’

‘The MV Orlova.’

5

Rhona rose with the dawn, having had little to no sleep.

After setting up the coffee machine, she headed for the kitchen window to view the damage. In the neighbouring convent garden, she was pleased to see the statue of the Virgin Mary still upright, although the well-kept lawn that normally surrounded her had now been replaced by a moat. As for her own back garden, it looked as though a giant had decided to trample all over it, while scattering branches from the surrounding trees.

Taking her coffee through to the sitting-room window, she found much the same level of destruction below in Kelvingrove Park. Broken branches littered the grass and pathways, while those that hadn’t come down had been stripped of their spring leaves.

Only the Gothic towers of Glasgow University on the neighbouring hill and the red sandstone Kelvingrove Art Gallery below looked unmarked by the storm.

Glasgow was battered but unbroken, just as she’d suggested it would be to Magnus. She only hoped that Orkney had managed the same.

Showered and dressed, Rhona made her way downstairs. Despite both front and back doors to the stairwell being shut, the wind had still managed to infiltrate enough to deposit a layer of wet leaves and dirt from the street outside.

Opening the heavy front door was a job in itself, as the invading wind tried to wrestle it from her hands. Once outside, Rhona swiftly made her way down the wide staircase that led into the park.

Here the shelter of the surrounding trees provided some cover, although folk heading for work against the wind were still struggling.