Page 110 of The Island of Lost Girls

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When the Princess Tatiana returns from following the summer round the world in May, she docks once again in the main harbour, cramping the fishing boats, though the marina is fully completed and the tops of a billion dollars of floating real estate can be seen swaying above the old wall.

Mercedes wakes one morning to find that she’s there, and her stomach sinks. Even though Tatiana never came to say goodbye when she returned to school, a tiny devil inside makes her afraid that her contract is still running. That Sergio’s failure to read it in the first place has indentured her for life.

The limo pulls in from the heliport and Tatiana gets out. She mounts the gangplank and doesn’t look back. Mercedes, placing plates of grilled octopus on a table, pauses and watches her go, and the knot in her stomach gets tighter.

‘They’re back,’ says Donatella.

‘You’re observant,’ she says. ‘You should get a job as an international woman of mystery.’ And Donatella flicks her with the edge of a tea towel. But still, she feels so nervous that she doesn’t notice when Donatella disappears inside and returns with her hair brushed and oiled to a mirror shine and her new dress with the sunflowers and the fitted bodice on under her apron, her only jewellery – her confirmation crucifix and her silver hoop earrings – glittering against her olive skin.

After lunch, Tatiana appears on the gangplank, and Mercedes’ shoulders rise up to touch her ears. But she doesn’t even glance at the Re del Pesce. Just turns to the right and heads for the marina gate. Punches the PIN into the keypad and lets herself into the tunnel in the old harbour wall. And Mercedes feels such a surge of relief it almost turns into tears. She looks over to where Felix is mending nets in the spring sunshine and sees him looking too, and he feels her gaze and turns and gives her a big smile. It’s okay, it says. You’re safe. We’re safe. She has no power over you now.