After twenty minutes Derry suggested we turn back, and although my muscles wanted to tear themselves out of my flesh and thank her personally, I found myself realizing that I was enjoying myself. The cold wind playing in my hair, the sunrise progressing through shades of copper, transforming the fjord to liquid gold. I enjoyed Derry’s company, too, and I even began to feel like I could relax in her presence. Something about her manner made me realize that, despite her obvious wealth and social standing, she was still human. She wasn’t better than me at all. She just had more money. And more confidence.

‘Can I ask you something?’ I said before thinking it through.

‘Sure.’

I took a breath. ‘Do you think Aurelia committed suicide?’

She did a double-take, and I closed my eyes, wincing at my own stupidity. I shouldn’t have asked. I knew I shouldn’t.

‘I’m sorry,’ I stammered. ‘I really shouldn’t have asked that.’

She smiled. ‘But you did ask it. Has Gaia said something?’

‘Gaia? Not about suicide. I don’t think we’re meant to say …’

She pulled her face into a sensible pout. ‘No, no. Of course.’

‘I suppose I just … Well, I was talking to Maren, and she said …’

‘Maren,’ she said in a grim voice.

‘She … well, she …’

‘What did Maren say?’ Derry pressed, her voice rising in pitch and volume, and I felt my capacity to lie shrivel up as though she’d jabbed me with a syringe filled with truth serum.

‘She told me that she didn’t think Aurelia killed herself,’ I blabbed.

‘What?’

‘She said Mother Nature was punishing Tom for building on a river and that’s why she died.’

Derry reacted to this divulgence, her face frozen in a look of horror. But then, she laughed. A head-right-back, mouth-wide-open laugh. A nervous titter escaped my own lips. I rarely made people laugh, but yes, there was something hilarious about what I’d just said.

‘Oh, that’s brilliant,’ Derry said, dabbing her eyes. ‘Maren is just so … bonkers. I’d like to see what Tom makes of that theory.’

‘I imagine he’d be very upset,’ I observed.

Derry became thoughtful. ‘Maren was very taken with Aurelia,’ she said, frowning. ‘It was a bit … concerning.’

Derry put a hand on my arm, warningly. ‘And she hates Tom. He’s only keeping her on out of duty, but I’m concerned.’

‘Concerned about what?’ I said.

She bit back a reply, and visibly replaced it with something more tactful. ‘You do know Maren isn’t actually a housekeeper, don’t you?’

‘Well, to be honest, that explains quite a bit …’

She leaned even closer. ‘She was an artist. Apparently a very talented one. Exhibitions, and what have you. But somehow she stopped painting and started cleaning for Aurelia.’