He stared at her for long moments. His eyes widened, his hand went haltingly to his mouth, where it hesitated, suspended in mid-air, before darting out and gripping her shoulder.

‘Where have you been?’ he hissed.

He grabbed her other shoulder with his left hand, and his fingers dug in painfully. She felt her sadness go up a notch. Anyone else’s husband would have wrapped them in a bear hug, but his reaction seemed to be one of anger.

‘Jesus, Paula!’ Dermot stepped up and laid a hand on the back of her neck.

A different touch to that of her husband, she realised. She wriggled out of the grip of both men. The contrasting contacts were a reminder of what she had and what she was missing.

‘What’s going on?’ she asked.

Tommy’s mouth worked, but words seemed to escape him.

Dermot cleared his throat. ‘We thought you’d got lost. Everyone’s out looking for you.’

She frowned and tilted her head to one side. ‘How could I get lost,’ she asked, ‘when I never even left the ship?’ It was a risky statement; after all, there had been the group of walkers she had originally set out with. They hadn’t paid much attention to her, though, and she could always say she’d changed her mind and come straight back.

‘You didn’t leave the ship?’ Tommy spoke between gritted teeth.

She shook her head and glanced at her watch. ‘No, too cold.’ She smiled brightly at him. ‘Did you have a good time? Did you go to the thermal lake? Hey, did you see the Northern Lights? They were fantastic!’

He took her arm and squeezed it. ‘I don’t think you realise the trouble you’ve caused,’ he said, his words sharp and clipped. ‘The police have been called.’

She barked out a laugh and looked around at the people who had gathered beside them, all wanting to catch a glimpse of the woman who had walked into the wilderness and come back seemingly unscathed.

‘Who on earth called the police?’ she asked, feigning amazement.

‘I did.’ His jaw was clenched, and his face, only moments ago sagging with sadness, was now stony.

‘You reported me missing to the police and held up everyone’s journey home?’ she asked, incredulous. ‘And all that time I’ve been on board!’

His nostrils flared. She pressed on, the desire to see him look small and stupid growing by the second. The sudden power she held was intoxicating. ‘You must feel so silly!’

It was the very first time in their relationship that she thought he might hit her. She locked eyes with him. Did he see her now? Did he see the person she had suppressed for all of her adult life?