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‘Oh, Auntie. Everyone thinks you’ve coped so well on your own.’

‘Well, I haven’t some of the time. I also know you think I’m an over-anxious worrier. I know I’ve directed it at you, but with your uncle passing so suddenly – and then your accident – it’s been hard not to worry, especially when I was trying to pick myself up off the floor.’

‘I know how much you care,’ Katie said, feeling that her role was to listen. Wanda needed to be heard for a change, perhaps for the first time in many years.

‘I expect I directed my need to have someone to fuss over at you. I didn’t have Ian, and Tyrone was away and God knows I daren’t even contemplate what might happen to him on a warship!’ She heaved in a breath.

Katie bit back tears. ‘I had no idea.’

‘Why should you? Oh, why should I lay this on you now? I just wanted you to understand.’

‘And I want to understand. I wish I’d heard this long ago.’

‘Well, you shouldn’t be hearing it now but I’ve started so …’

‘Please, go on.’ She rested her fingers on her aunt’s arm, as lightly as she could so as not to break this moment.

Wanda’s breath juddered. ‘I would like to do something new and to be brave but it’s been three years now. Occasionally I do forget – for a few minutes, even an hour – that Ian’s gone. That’s happening more and more but sometimes, when I wake up and realise he’s not beside me, it feels like it only just happened and the pain …’

Katie went to hug her but Wanda wafted her away. ‘No. I promised myself I wouldn’t do this. Not to you after all you’ve been through, not at Christmas on holiday in this beautiful house and especially not with Ned landing on you because of my stupid invitation!’

‘Don’t feel guilty about that. As for talking to me now, I am so glad you found the courage to tell me how you’re feeling.’

Wanda blew her nose noisily and scoffed. ‘See, I can’t even cry prettily. I sound like an elephant with flu. I’ll never be brave or cool or intellectual but I do think I’ve let myself be painted into a corner over the years without me even noticing. Even though your uncle’s gone, I am still stuck in that corner, too afraid to step out of it.’

The description was so perfect, Katie’s breath was taken away. Her aunt had been suffering in silence for so long and, yet again, Katie had been so wrapped up in her problems that she hadn’t realised. ‘You are the bravest person I know,’ she said firmly. ‘You are a wonderful, kind, compassionate, lovely, loving person and you deserve to be happy and fulfilled and live your life to the fullest in a way you want to.’

They hugged each other tightly, putting all the love and care into that one embrace. When it ended, Wanda dabbed her eyes as she watched the orange floats disappear around the corner of the island.

‘You know,’ she said quietly, ‘the funny thing is I would like to be brave enough to join those bloody mad swimmers. Just once.’ Her voice grew bigger. ‘Even if I only dip my toe in, I would like to throw off my clothes and get in that lake, no matter how scandalised your uncle might have been!’

When they got back to the house, Pongo was rooting in the leaves. Wanda had gone up to her bedroom to message Tyrone, leaving Katie still contemplating the quiet courage with which her aunt had faced sudden bereavement at a relatively young age.

So many of the people around her had hidden their pain and troubles from her, for her sake, and that included Ned.

Taking a breath, she steeled herself for a talk with him before he took the launch back to the Bothy. Or perhaps it was better if she spoke to him at the Bothy itself, when they were away from the Island House. What was meant to be a place of refuge had become a pressure that everyone needed to escape from.

Athene and Jess were drinking coffee in the kitchen with Arlo. They swung round as one when Katie appeared, their eyes lasered in on her.

‘Have I missed anything?’ she asked, feeling like the character who enters into the room with a smoking gun.

‘Arlo’s been very clever and fixed the launch,’ Athene said.

Arlo had a coughing fit.

‘Have a glass of water,’ Jess said, pouring him some from the filter jug.

‘Th-thanks, I’m f-fine,’ he said hoarsely after sipping the water. ‘It all seems to be working OK so when anyone’s ready for a lift, let me know.’

‘Well done,’ Katie said.

‘Athene and I were wondering if we should all head to the pub to give everyone, i.e. Wanda, a break from the cooking,’ Jess said.

‘Sounds like a good idea. When you say all …’

‘Only us girls,’ Athene added to Katie’s relief.

‘Yes. Why not. Do you think we’d need to book?’