As they moved off and as she followed, she wondered what Anna was doing. She had looked ready for a professional hike, with her backpack and boots. Paula darted a glance at the people with her and relaxed slightly once she’d confirmed none of them were Anna.

But what if Anna went after Tommy?

She rolled her shoulders and forced her feet to keep walking. Let him do whatever he wanted with the skinny bitch. Clearly it didn’t matter whether Paula stuck close to Tommy or not. Those two had a kind of feral magnetism to each other.

‘I deserve better,’ she whispered to herself, but her tone was doubtful, disbelieving.

She glanced up, hoping nobody had heard her talking to herself, and blinked in surprise as she saw that the group of hikers had moved a good couple of hundred yards in front of her.

Abandoned yet again.

She felt her face twisting in bitterness as she slowed to a stop. In front of her was a main road with three lanes. Beyond it she saw trees, greenery and hills that undulated up and down. The sky was slightly cloudy, but clear enough; no sign of that promised storm.

When the traffic came to a halt, Paula crossed over and stood beside the trees that lined the road. Then, taking a deep breath, and with a single lingering glance behind her, she batted aside the branches and stepped into the forest.

She didn’t notice anyone watching her.

She didn’t see anyone following her.

It seemed like hours later when Anna pulled a bottle of water from her backpack and drank greedily. Her breath came in short, uneven bursts and what felt like a lead weight had settled in her chest.

Never had she imagined that Paula would be able to walk this far, and at the speed she was going, she could easily have stuck with the professional hikers. The woman’s stamina was disconcerting. Her own lack of it was worrying.

She paused at a rusted signpost and ran her fingers over the lettering.

Ellidavatn.

She removed her glove with her teeth and entered the place name into her phone. A lakeside town, she saw, part of the Heiðmörk nature reserve. It was seven miles away from the harbour.

Sunset was almost upon them now, and the sky was a strange yellow colour, with heavy hints of grey that held the promise of snow. The storm was brewing, and the captain of the Ruby Spirit had issued stern instructions to everyone that the ship must set sail no later than five p.m. or they would be stuck in the harbour overnight.

She dropped her backpack by the roadside and sat down heavily on it. Paula could be left out here; the ship might sail without her. And for Anna, that would mean a return journey with Tommy.