Page 71 of Escape to the Sun

She’d thought the answer to that question was an easy yes. Louis hadn’t let her down, hadn’t slept with another woman right before their wedding, hadn’t tried to hide it and make her feel as though she was overreacting when the truth had emerged. Louis had been nothing but straightforward; he had coaxed her from her unhappy shell, brought her out into the light again. Made her feel far more than the sum of her broken parts.

And yet there were a handful of days left on the Ballygowan, after which Hannah would be heading home, back to her real life. She’d be back to working in the deli, making up her extended absence to her little brother by taking him to the park to hunt for dinosaurs, unpacking into her room in the family home as though the trip to the Caribbean had been a particularly good dream.

Should she consider trying again with Ian? Wiping the slate clean and going again? Tell her mum the dress that had hung in the wardrobe for months could get its moment in the sun after all?

Her phone trilled, shaking her out of her thoughts as she answered.

‘Hi, Ian – how are you feeling?’

‘They’ve just poured a load of painkillers down my throat, so I thought I’d phone before I fall asleep.’

‘What’s the time with you?’

‘Nearly ten o’clock, I think. Not that it makes much difference whether it’s day or night in here; it’s always noisy. Just with fewer lights on.’

He sounded flat, as though the novelty of his crisis had worn away to leave the reality of the rehab he was facing. It pulled at Hannah’s heartstrings. It reminded her of his knee injury and the way he’d relied on her then, how he’d told her he couldn’t have coped with the news he’d never play rugby again without her by his side.

‘I’ll be home soon,’ she found herself saying.

A moment passed in which Hannah could hear Ian’s breathing intensify, then something that sounded unnervingly like a sob.

‘Will you visit me?’ he said.

Hannah swallowed, aware she was muddying waters that were already full of confusion.

‘Yes, Ian. I will. And perhaps we should talk about everything else then, too. See if we can get back to a better place.’

‘Get back together, you mean?’ His voice cracked. It took him a moment to recover before he added, ‘Sorry. Ignore me – I think the drugs are kicking in. I don’t want to put pressure on you. But I would love it if we could talk. Sort it out properly.’

Hannah nodded. ‘I’d like that too.’

‘I haven’t ever stopped loving you, you know?’ he said and Hannah felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

‘We’ll talk properly once I’m home, Ian.’

They ended the call and Hannah checked her watch. The day had fled past, evening beginning to wrap its darkening skies around the ship, and Hannah washed brushes, then packed away paints and equipment before she left the gallery. She hadn’t heard from Ruth all day – assumed she and Teddy had made the most of their time on the island. She’d had a brief text from Louis, suggesting they meet for dinner – an idea that twenty-four hours ago would have filled her with excitement. But now the prospect felt far more complicated.

Showered and dressed and on time, Hannah was shown to a table in the Vivaldi. She ordered a drink and stared out at the ocean, an expanse of rolling ink in the dying rays of the sun. She toyed with her glass, accepting the offer of a bowl of olives while she waited, her mind in turmoil.

When Louis arrived, he was in uniform, but casual in shirtsleeves, rather than a jacket. A navy ribbed sweater hung around his shoulders, a bunch of carefully wrapped flowers in one hand. He worked his way to their table, greeting and chatting and smiling as he moved across the flooring and Hannah tipped her face to his as he leant to kiss her cheek.

‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ he said.

The day had been well spent, even if he hadn’t been able to spend it with Hannah. Maria’s intervention had been timely, and although he wouldn’t admit it to anybody, Louis realised he might have been coasting. Not a great move in his first sailing as captain.

After ensuring routine checks were completely up to date, he’d welcomed Blue Line Cruising royalty to the bridge – the owner’s cousin and her husband had been given top-notch treatment, ending the tour by meeting Portus, who stalked into view at the appropriate moment.

Louis had spent all day on the bridge, staying to see every rotation of crew. It was more than Captain Crowther ever did, but Crowther had been captaining for decades, not weeks, and there was nothing to be gained from making comparisons. Louis still had everything to prove.

By the time he was due to meet Hannah for dinner, Louis felt he’d covered every base. He was sure he’d mitigated any complaints Tim Price could possibly muster against him. It was time to relax and enjoy the evening. He slipped into the florist on his way to what he hoped would be the perfect end to a very productive day.

Her greeting was warm, if a little stilted. She took the flowers, told him how beautiful they were as Louis took his seat, then set them down so she could take a large mouthful of wine.

‘How was your day?’ he said. ‘I’m sorry I was caught up on the bridge.’

Maria’s words echoed around his head – if he and Hannah were going to make something more out of what they’d started, they would both have to learn to cope with the other’s lifestyle. The magic of Christmas aboard the Ballygowan couldn’t last forever.

‘I spent most of it in the gallery, actually,’ she said.