That was how they referred to it – ‘the incident’. Paula thought of it as ‘the fuck-up with the bleach’, but she would never say that. The girl from the day before was young, younger than she’d seemed at the original appointment, and now her superiors didn’t leave her side, commanding her to watch and learn and not to touch.

And the result was worth the hours spent in the chair. For the first time in her life, her hair wasn’t dark and glossy. Now it was honey blonde, with highlights that made it look sun-kissed. To Paula’s surprise, the stylists had been right: she was enhanced.

At the till, she pulled out her purse, but the senior stylist waved it away. ‘No,’ she said. ‘I’m just glad we could fix it.’

Paula nodded and turned to the younger woman who had wrecked her hair. ‘Thanks for sorting it out,’ she said. ‘And don’t worry, everyone makes mistakes.’

The girl said nothing, simply offered a pinched smile before walking away.

Paula realised that the boat had stopped and that they must have docked. She wondered if Tommy would still be waiting for her, half hoping he wasn’t; if she was with him, he would simply be interested in searching for a pub. She was looking forward to exploring the little town on her own.

She paused at the gate, wondering where that thought had come from. Once upon a time, she had hated doing anything by herself and had felt unconfident even in a town she knew. It was why she always called Julie to go shopping with her; she had a deep-seated need for other opinions, as though she didn’t trust herself. She touched her new hair, which ran silky and soft through her fingers. Even this colour had been someone else’s idea.

Why was she even thinking all of this? Where was it coming from?

She sighed, pulled her coat collar up and walked the last few feet to the gate.

‘Paula!’ Tommy grinned and adjusted his beanie hat. ‘Looking lovely.’

She touched her hair self-consciously and smiled back. ‘Thanks.’

Behind Tommy, melting into the crowd of passengers who seemed to be swarming off the ship, Paula saw a cap of blonde hair: Anna.

She turned to her husband. ‘Did Anna say anything over breakfast this morning?’ she asked.

‘Like what?’ asked Tommy as he took her hand. ‘Come on, let’s go.’

Paula averted her gaze, seeking Anna, but the woman had disappeared.

‘As we pause in the waters of the port of Åndalsnes, you might be interested in one of the fishing trips that takes place in the famous Norwegian fjords. Popular catches are herring and mackerel, pollack and coal fish, among others. Of course, if you are feeling slightly more adventurous, why not try your hand at deep-sea fishing?