But she laid gentle fingers across his lips to hush him. “It’s much more stressful for me to be idle here. And with your schedule, there’s no point asking you—not even to come with me, which would have been nice. You know that Courtney already gave me permission to travel to France—even home to see my father, if I wished to. It’s six months since the operation, and my echoes and blood pressure are fine.”

“There’s a madness spilling right to our door at the moment, Lucy. I’d rather you weren’t too far from me while all this is so unresolved. And I’ll be frantic about you traveling alone. You’re still getting over major heart surgery.”

She shook her head gently. “Sorry, that won’t wash. I’m going to quote your own words back at you, from before Christmas. ‘We don’t recommend you going abroad in the first few months after a transplant’—those few months are up, don’t you think? ‘And when you’re ready to go it’s important to choose a country with high standards of hygiene and clean food.’ Now, Alex, I think the United States qualifies, don’t you?”

He looked tired, and frustrated, and a little in awe of her. She didn’t offer him space for further objections: “I must go, Alex. It’s something I have to do. For Will. And for me. Trust me. I’ll be quick and to the point, back Friday at the latest. I’m a big girl.”

He kissed her fingers, then clasped her hand to his chest. “I’ll be worried. You’ve got a major medical next week, and I hate letting you out of my sight, as things stand.”

“Then keep me in here.” She reciprocated the pressure of the hand that had kidnapped hers. “Try not to worry. Simon’s coming, and he’s protective of me too, like a brother. I think he’s caught up in the drama now. We solved your sunflower mystery—the thirty-fourth state.”

“And sunflowers most often have thirty-four petals, like daisies, and even thirty-four spirals of seed heads. And they track the sun.” He kissed her now, oblivious to comment from onlookers. “I’m not happy.” He tried to look stern, but part of her appeal was that she would never be subordinated to anyone else’s will. If Courtney had refused permission, she’d undoubtedly still go.

Lucy grinned at him, as though she could read these thoughts and was not unpleased with her power. “You’ll get used to me.”

“To your impossibly strong will, you mean.” And they both laughed. “You’ll keep Simon close the whole time?” She nodded, mock-demurely. “What time’s your flight?”