I grimace; I have absolutely no intention of going anywhere near the water.

‘Lots of people drown, god rest their souls,’ the boatman goes on. ‘Don’t realise how deep it is – six hundred foot in places. Deeper than the North Sea. Drops away before you know it. It’s the cold that gets ’em. Only takes a few seconds and you’re dead.’ He snaps his fingers to illustrate his point.

I eye the loch even more nervously, my stomach muscles clenching rigidly, as though someone has just thrown me into the icy depths.

‘Don’t worry,’ Liam reassures the man. ‘We won’t be going swimming.’

‘Aye,’ the man says, untying the boat. ‘Well, have a nice time. Enjoy yourselves.’

‘Thank you,’ I call after the man as he pushes off from the jetty.

As the boat drifts away, the boatman tilts his head up to look at the sky, as though reading something in the clouds, which have now almost completely been chased away by the sun. ‘Best make the most of the weather,’ he says. ‘Storm’s on its way.’

‘The forecast said it would be sunny all week,’ Liam responds.

The boatman gives a shrug. ‘Weatherman doesnae know anything. Take it from me. There’s a storm on its way.’

Liam frowns as he picks up our bags and starts walking down the jetty towards the cottage. I watch the boat disappear into the distance and then hurry after him, feeling a faint stirring of something I can’t immediately identify as I take in the view of the island and the cottage up ahead. Excitement. I haven’t felt that in so long. I take a deep breath and let it buoy my spirits.

This is going to be the perfect honeymoon, I think to myself as I reach Liam’s side.

Chapter Three

Liam locates the key in the lockbox and unlocks the front door. He has to duck to enter the cottage as the doorway is so low, built for shorter men in long-ago times. From the look of it I’m guessing it’s at least four hundred years old.

I stop for a moment to admire the lavender and geraniums planted in the flower beds and hanging baskets by the front door.

‘Laura, come and have a look!’ Liam shouts and I follow him inside.