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  Rhys finished clearing the table. “C’mon, gang, let’s get going before the sun goes in,” he said, rattling his car keys.

  Hanna was glad of the distraction; on the other hand, she needed some time to herself to come to terms with the situation. Rhys had never met Luciano, and would never be able to understand how cold and calculating the man was. Ruthless, and capable of anything he set his mind on. And distance was no barrier.

  Chapter Three

  Rays of sunlight streamed through the bedroom curtains. Hanna lay in bed, watching them sway gently in the light breeze coming through the open window. By her side, Rhys snored softly, his back towards her. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table: 6.53. She might as well get up; there’d be no more sleep for her. Not that she’d managed to get much. Try as she might, she hadn’t been able to shake off the thought that Luciano might come back into their lives to seek revenge.

  A sudden crash from Eva’s room startled her. She jumped out of bed and rushed across the landing to investigate, only to find her daughter still tucked up in bed. A guilty-looking Cosmo stood on the windowsill, looking down at the lamp he’d knocked over.

  “What was that noise?” Eva turned over, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

  “It’s only Cosmo up to his usual tricks,” Hanna replied, picking up the lamp and returning it to its place on the windowsill.

  Cosmo leapt onto the bed, nuzzling Eva for a cuddle. The bedroom door creaked open a notch and Bryn appeared, wagging his tail frantically, not wanting to be left out if there were cuddles to be had. The little bed groaned as both animals vied for the youngster’s attention. Eva sat up, squealing in delight as Bryn smothered her face in sloppy kisses, while Cosmo waltzed across the pillow and settled across her shoulders.

  Rhys popped his head round the door. “The noise woke me up. Is everything OK?”

  “Everything’s just fine.” Hanna smiled. Life was good. She wouldn’t let Luciano do anything to jeopardise their happiness.

  ***

  Feeling tired after her restless night, Hanna dragged herself into the kitchen, closely followed by Eva and the two animals. It was Eva’s job to feed them, a task she took seriously, although Hanna had to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t overdo it. She watched her daughter take two packets of dry pet food out of the kitchen cupboard and fill their respective bowls to the brim.

  “Eva, how many times must I tell you? That’s way too much. You’ll make them so fat they won’t be able to move,” she said patiently.

  Eva giggled. “OK, sorry, I keep forgetting.” She emptied half the contents back into the packets and laid the bowls on the slate floor. Both animals began to devour the food.

  Hanna smiled. “You can give me a hand setting the table if you want.”

  Eva groaned slightly. Hanna handed her a tub of Greek yoghurt, a packet of granola, and a bowl of fruit. “You’ll need bowls and cutlery, too. There’s a tray in the corner to put everything on.”

  Hanna watched as her daughter carefully balanced the items on the tray, her face screwed up in concentration. She carried everything over to the table, weaving precariously around the pets who were still noisily tucking into their breakfast.

  She was a good kid; no real problems at home or at school. The kidnapping hadn’t left any lasting effect on her, just that spell of bad dreams. That had passed, thank God, and now she was just like any normal child of her age. Perhaps a little precocious at times, but nothing they couldn’t handle. And Eva adored Rhys as if he were her own father.

  Still deep in thought, Hanna went about her morning routine as if on autopilot, making coffee and popping some croissants in the oven. She took the coffee pot and two mugs over to the table, returning for the butter dish and a pot of homemade apricot jam. Rhys appeared in a dressing gown just as she was about to call him, his hair still wet and tousled from the shower, his face flushed and glowing.

  “Great timing,” he grinned, taking a seat at the table next to Eva who was already helping herself to a generous portion of granola.

  “What have I just told you?” said Hanna. “Don’t fill bowls to the brim. You’ll never eat all that.”

  “But I will ‘cos I’m hungry,” complained Eva.

  “You won’t have room for croissants and jam afterwards.”

  “OK, OK,” said Eva reluctantly, poised to empty half the bowl back into the packet.

  “Here, give me that,” said Rhys, pouring it into a spare bowl instead. “Share a banana with me?”

  Eva nodded and smiled.

  I’m always the baddy telling her off, Hanna thought, while Rhys always gets to play the good guy.

  ***

  After breakfast, they all piled into Hanna’s Citroën Cactus, Bryn included, barking excitedly, for the short journey across to Anglesey.

  It was late July and the first week of the school holidays. Keeping Eva amused during the long break was going to be challenging. Rhys had arranged to have the week off work so they could spend some time together. Today was the first of their planned days out, a trip to Puffin Island that Eva had been clamouring for, ever since she’d learnt at school that the puffins had returned, if only for the breeding season. That was nearly over now, and Rhys had checked the likelihood of seeing them before booking the tickets.

  What a perfect day for our trip, thought Hanna, relaxing in the passenger seat as Rhys drove off. It was already warm, with a light breeze and a few wispy clouds in an otherwise flawless sky.

  In the back of the car, Eva chattered away merrily to Bryn who was lapping up the attention. Rhys glanced over at Hanna and grinned, taking his hand momentarily off the steering wheel to squeeze hers. She grinned back, and they drove on in companionable silence apart from the incessant monologue and occasional bark from the back seat.

  The traffic on the A55 was light as they’d managed to miss the rush hour, such as it ever was, although the road could get busy with ferry traffic at times. The next ferry for Ireland wasn’t due to depart from Holyhead until the afternoon. As they crossed the Menai Straits, Hanna gazed in awe at the spectacular view. On a fine day like today, it reminded her of Sicily: yachts bobbing on the shimmering water against an azure sky and verdant coastline, the lofty peaks of Snowdonia towering in the distance away to the east. Her thoughts turned momentarily to Luciano again, but she tried to push him to the back of her mind, determined not to let him spoil their day.

  “You know, before I came to live here, I never imagined that Wales could be so beautiful,” she mused.

  Rhys glanced at her and gave a wry smile. “Why do you think I’ve never left?”

  “I really can’t blame you on a day like today. Mind you, it’s not so beautiful when it’s pouring with rain and blowing a gale and you can’t see anything beyond your own nose.”

  “Bad weather just adds to its mystery and drama, and makes you appreciate the fine weather even more.”

  She punched him playfully in the ribs. “You’ve always got an answer for everything! Well, at least we’re in luck today. It’s perfect for the boat trip.”

  “A boat? Are we going on a boat?” piped up a voice from the back seat.

  “You know we are, poppet. We’re going to see the puffins on Puffin Island, remember?”

  “Yippee!” Eva started to bounce up and down with excitement, kicking her feet against the front seat. Bryn joined in, barking loudly.

  “OK, OK!” said Hanna, trying not to laugh. “Let’s have a bit of calm in the back seat! We’re nearly there now.” She glanced at her watch. Just after 10.30am, plenty of time to get to Beaumaris for the 11 o’clock cruise. “How about a game of I-Spy?”

  “I’ll start!” shouted Eva. “I spy with my little eye something beginning with W.”

  By the time they reached the pretty little coastal town, they still hadn’t come up with the correct answer despite numerous attempts. “OK, we give up,” said Hanna. “What’s the word?”

  “Whale!!” said Eva triumphantly, at which
they all fell about laughing.

  “If you’ve seen a whale in the Menai Straits, I’ll eat my hat!” said Rhys.

  “You haven’t got a hat,” Eva pointed out, “and Ms Jones says that there are whales off Anglesey.”

  Ms Jones was Eva’s class teacher and seemingly the fount of all wisdom.

  “Yes, she’s right, but you don’t see them very often,” Rhys replied, driving past the elegant Georgian terraces on the seafront into the main car park.

  It was peak season, and fine weather always attracted a crowd of day trippers. He drove around for several minutes before spotting a parking space. They left the car and made for the pier where a queue of people waited to buy tickets for the boat trip.

  “Sorry, folks, the morning cruise is fully booked now,” said a weather-beaten chap who appeared to be the skipper. “You’ll have to wait for the afternoon one.”

  A collective groan rose from the queue. Thank God we booked our tickets online, otherwise we’d never have got on, thought Hanna. She rooted them out of her backpack and handed them over to the skipper, who smiled and ushered them towards the boat. His mate held out his arm to steady each of them in turn as they stepped on board, Hanna gripping Eva’s hand and Rhys keeping Bryn on a tight lead.

  “C’mon, you two! Look, we can sit right at the front!” Eva cried, wriggling free and pushing past people to reach the bow of the boat.

  Hanna and Rhys followed in her wake, smiling apologetically at their fellow-passengers. As soon as everyone was aboard, the skipper started up the engine and pulled slowly away from the pier. He launched into an amusing commentary, peppered with anecdotes about the places of interest along the way.

  Away from shore, the wind picked up, whipping Hanna’s hair into her eyes. She cursed and pulled her hood up, wishing she’d had the foresight to tie it back, and fastened her jacket against the brisk breeze. Cormorants and gulls circled over their heads, before diving down and settling on the surface of the sea. The skipper pointed to another flock of white birds with a distinctive shape and markings: gannets. With their long, pointed beaks, yellow heads and black wingtips, they glided low over the water before rising into the air, then plunging spectacularly into the water.

  He also mentioned possible sightings of dolphins and porpoises. Eva avidly scoured the waters for any signs, but her face fell with disappointment when none appeared. They wouldn’t be able to land on Puffin Island, he explained, as it was a bird sanctuary. And, as it was near the end of the breeding season, they might not see any puffins at all. Eva scowled at hearing this and looked if she might burst into tears.

  A few moments later the uninhabited island came into view and a small, stocky bird flew by. Eva leapt to her feet, pointing upwards. “Mummy, Mummy! Look over there, it’s a puffin!” she shouted excitedly. “And there goes another one…”

  As they drew nearer to the island, the distinctive comical-looking birds could clearly be seen, strutting along the cliffs, swimming in the shallows, and skimming through the air. Grey seals basked on the rocks in the sunshine. Eva jumped up and down, beside herself with excitement. Hanna caught Rhys’ eye and grinned.

  The grin faded as she felt her mobile vibrate. She snatched it out of her pocket and stared at the screen, fearing more bad news from Ceri. But it was only Nerys, her old neighbour from when she’d first arrived in Wales.

  “Hanna? Hi, it’s Nerys. Hope I haven’t caught you… bad time …”

  “No, it’s fine but the signal’s not too good.”

  “I’ll be quick then. There seem to be… strange people at your old cottage. As it belongs… National Park, I thought Rhys should know… wondered if he… pop over and take a look?”

  “I’m sure he could. What seems to be the problem?”

  Rhys stared at her questioningly.

  Nerys’ response was masked by static.

  “You’re breaking up,” said Hanna, her voice rising. “Look, we’ll call you later and arrange something.”

  “Fine,” said Nerys, before the line cut out altogether.

  “What was all that about?” Rhys asked.

  “It was Nerys. Something about dodgy goings-on at my old cottage. Asking if you could go over and check it out.”

  Chapter Four

  Back on dry land, they bought fish and chips for lunch and ate them sitting on a bench along the seafront. Eva tried to feed her leftovers to the gulls that were milling around in anticipation, but Rhys stood up and shooed them away.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” Eva shouted angrily. “Don’t chase them. I’m feeding them.”

  “Sorry, poppet, it’s not allowed. The birds can get a bit nasty, and they’ve hurt people in the past,” Rhys explained gently. “You don’t want them to hurt you, do you?”

  “They wouldn’t do that, they’re my friends,” said the youngster, defiantly.

  “Yes,” Hanna cut in to head off any potential argument, “but if they start fighting each other for food, they could peck you accidentally if you get in the way. We don’t want that, do we? That’s why it’s forbidden.” She pointed to a sign that confirmed this.

  Eva shook her head, defeated. Bryn whined, as if sensing the food might come his way instead. She held the food tray down to the dog who guzzled it up before anyone could object. Hanna suppressed a smile.

  “What are we doing now?” asked Eva.

  “I thought we might go and see the old Victorian gaol,” Hanna said.

  “Oooh, yes!” said Eva, her face breaking into a smile. “We’ve been learning about that at school.”

  “I think I’ll give Nerys a quick ring first.” Rhys fumbled in his pocket for his phone. “See what she wants.”

  Hanna nodded. “Fine, we’ll make a start towards the gaol. You can catch us up.”

  The gaol was only a few streets away, and Hanna and Eva had nearly arrived when Rhys appeared behind them, panting and looking slightly anxious.

  “Everything OK?” Hanna asked.

  Rhys glanced around him before responding in a low voice. “She reckons there’ve been a lot of comings and goings on the road up to your old cottage. Vans arriving at all hours, sometimes ending up at her place by mistake. Not delivery drivers, either. She’s seen several young girls there, too. Too many for just one family.”

  Hanna frowned. “Really? That is weird. Isn’t it supposed to be a holiday let?”

  Rhys nodded. “All our cottages are. I told Nerys I’d check out the rental agreement just to be sure and find out who took it out. And I promised to go over there and take a look.”

  “Maybe we can all go. I’ve not seen Nerys for a week or two, and you know how Eva loves going up there and seeing all the animals.”

  “Good idea. How about the day after tomorrow?”

  Before she could answer, Hanna felt Eva tugging at her arm.

  “Stop talking and come on, both of you,” complained Eva. “I want to see the ghost. Ms Jones says there’s a ghost…”

  I’ll have to have a word with this Ms Jones, thought Hanna. Eva’s imagination was active enough without it being fuelled by lurid stories of ghosts.

  ***

  Much to Eva’s disappointment, the ghost didn’t put in an appearance. But the promise of an ice-cream and a treasure hunt around the town brought a smile back to her face. The sun was starting to go down by the time they finally returned to the car. Hanna’s face was tingling from the sun and her feet were starting to ache. It had been a long day. Eva fell asleep straight away in the back seat, with Bryn lying across her lap. She didn’t wake even when they arrived home. Rhys carried her into the cottage and put her to bed.

  “Fancy some supper?” Hanna asked, going into the kitchen.

  “Could do with a little something. How about you?”

  “I’m a bit peckish too but it’s a bit late to start cooking. I’ll rustle something up.”

  “Great,” said Rhys, taking a bottle of South African Pinot Noir out of the wine rack. He popped the cork, poured two gener
ous glasses, and handed one to Hanna.

  “And it was a great day. Thanks for suggesting it. Eva had a lot of fun.”

  “Not just Eva, we all did!” Rhys grinned as Hanna hastily laid the table with an assortment of local cheeses and cold cuts, crusty bread, and a spicy tomato chutney.

  “Will this be enough?”

  “Perfect!” said Rhys replied, planting a playful kiss on her cheek.

  An image of Luciano flashed through her head. Hanna realised it was the first time that she’d thought of her ex-husband all day. A grim thought occurred to her: while he might be an ex in her head, she reminded herself that legally they were still married.

  ***

  Hanna arranged for them to go up to Nerys’ for lunch on Tuesday. She was looking forward to it, a chance for a catch-up. Eva could see all the animals again, and Rhys would be able to check out the cottage. They’d decided to make the trip in Rhys’ National Park pick-up truck, the back of which was open to the elements.

  “Can I sit in the back with Bryn? Please, please? Can I, can I?” Eva persisted.

  Hanna frowned. “I’ve told you before, no. Maybe later when we’re off the road. You can navigate instead, if you remember the way, that is.”

  “OK, I’ll try my best.” Eva grinned, temporarily appeased.

  Thank God for that, thought Hanna. Keeping her amused was difficult enough at the best of times, but the school holidays were already proving pretty exhausting.

  They all piled into the double-cab pick-up, Hanna and Rhys in the front, Bryn tethered alongside Eva in the back. After about twenty minutes, they reached the track that led up to the little settlement of Heulog. A fine drizzle masked the hills, becoming more persistent the higher they climbed. This was where Hanna and Eva had come to live when they first arrived in Wales after leaving Sicily. It made her think back to how Rhys, Ceri’s brother but a virtual stranger, had helped them out. Over time their friendship had blossomed and developed into something more. Hanna remembered how Rhys’ draughty old Land Rover, a real bone-rattler, used to jolt its way up this track over rocks and potholes, making sure any passengers felt every single one. The new pick-up took the track in its stride, gliding smoothly over the rough surface.