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‘My mother was angry, she stormed out. I stayed on to talk some more with my father, to see if there was some other way we could save the business. She must have gone straight to the boat. She couldn’t get her way through me, so she punished you.’ The truth sat between them. After all this time, they finally knew what had really happened that day. But what use was it now, Shauna thought? The truth had come too late to change anything. ‘By the time I got to the harbour, you were gone. I looked for you … tried to track you down … but I knew so little about you.’

‘I saw your wedding announcement – your mother got what she wanted.’

‘Not right away. I looked for you, but I couldn’t even find out where you had got off the ferry. I would have asked Chantelle, but the morning after you left she handed in her notice and took the first ferry out of Ithos.’

‘At least someone showed a bit of loyalty. You still married Sofía.’

‘I had no way to trace you …’

‘Out of sight, out of mind. You forgot about me.’

‘No!’

‘Yes. Look, this is all so pointless. I came here because I needed to tell you about our daughter. For years, I tried to bury the memories because it was too painful, not knowing whether she was happy, whether I’d made the right decision. I tried to trace her through the adoption agency but they refused to help, and my lawyers say there’s nothing I can do. I would give anything to be able to see her, to explain why I had to give her up, and to let her know that even though we were only together for such a short time, I loved her more than I’ve ever loved anyone before or since.’

Demetrios nodded sadly. ‘You know, Shauna, when I wrote to you, I hoped that we could pick up where we left off, that our love would be the same, but I see now that we are not the same people. It was foolish of me to dream.’

He looked so desolate that she almost reached out to him, but she stopped herself. He was right, the spell was broken. She had done what she had come here to do, and now it was time to go.

‘I must head back, Alex will be wondering where I am.’

‘Is that your husband’s son?’

‘Yes. He’s the brightest, sweetest, most loving little boy you could wish to meet.’

‘He is lucky to have you.’

‘It’s the other way round, Demetrios. He’s filled a little bit of that hole in my heart.’

The rumble of an approaching speedboat signalled Christian’s return. He waved to them. Shauna turned to Demetrios. ‘I want to go back to Ithos now.’

‘Of course, as you wish. I will take you myself, in my own boat. I will signal Christian.’

Shauna picked up her fedora and underneath there was a volume of Sappho’s poetry. She smiled. ‘Your favourite.’

‘Always. As she says: “Farewell, go and remember me …”’

‘As if I could ever forget you.’ Their eyes met for a moment, so much emotion suspended in the air between them. She looked away. ‘What’s underneath the tarpaulin?’

Demetrios paused. ‘Oh, just another “flight of fancy”, as you would say. Come, let us go.’

Shauna put her hat on and collected her bag, casting a last glance at Fengari Bay as Demetrios turned his boat towards Ithos harbour.

Chapter 30

Ariana looked at the brightly coloured scarves hanging from one of the stalls in Ithos market. She took a midnight-blue tasselled scarf from its hanger and tried it on, admiring herself in the mirror. The stallholder gave her an encouraging smile, but Ariana shook her head and gave it to the woman to put back. She drifted around some of the other stalls while keeping an eye out for Christian, her heart quickening at the sound of a speedboat coming in. She was surprised to see it was her father at the helm, and there was an attractive redhead with him.

Ariana watched through curious eyes as her father helped the woman disembark on to the jetty. They exchanged a few words, embraced briefly, and then her father was alone. He stood for a few moments, watching as the woman disappeared out of sight up the winding path that let past their own villa and up to the hills beyond.

Ariana felt sure that the woman was Shauna Jackson, the famous actress. Their family had always had celebrity friends, but they were mostly from mainland Europe. Her father took a tennis holiday every year with Viggo Mortensen, and Ralph Fiennes occasionally came to the island and hung out at the villa, but this was a surprise. As far as Ariana knew, Shauna Jackson had never visited Ithos before. She resolved to ask Teresa – if anyone would know who the woman was, she would – but right now she had other plans.

Her father headed towards the taverna and Ariana saw Níko come out to meet him. They spoke for a few minutes, Níko clapped him on the shoulder and the two men went inside. It looked as if it was going to be one of those days when they would open a bottle of retsina and throw the cork away.

Ariana looked at her Gucci watch; it was only mid-afternoon, but her father had clearly finished work for the day. Christian must still be at the boathouse. There wouldn’t be a better chance to catch him; she’d have him to herself there. She paused at a stall that sold dresses and checked herself out in their mirror; her bikini was clearly visible under the floor-length see-through white dress she wore. Perfect.

Satisfied, she strode over to her father’s boat. Fortunately, he’d opted for a table inside the taverna rather than on the terrace; she could see him through the window, a bottle of retsina and a glass in front of him. Hopefully he would be too engrossed in his conversation with Níko to see what she was up to. As always, the speedboat’s keys were in the ignition. No one would dare steal her father’s boat from here, they all knew who he was. A fisherman on one of the adjoining boats eyed her curiously; he would know who she was too, so she waved and blew the old man a kiss, which elicited a gummy smile from his toothless mouth.

She sped away from the harbour, revving the engine, watching the speed gauge rise as she bounced through the water. Why go slow when you can go fast, she thought. It wasn’t long before Fengari Bay came into view. A smile of satisfaction played around her lips when she spotted Christian’s boat moored outside the boathouse.