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She throws up her hands. ‘Ugh! There’s no way I could have lived with my dad.

You’ve met him; he’s a complete tyrant. All we do is row when we’re around each other.

And he’s never been that interested in me, anyway.

I just don’t cut it. Bea’s his golden girl.

I just figured I’d leave them to it and forge my own path.

Even if it meant doing it mostly on my own.

’ She runs a hand over her hair and I realise her fingers are shaking.

‘And honestly,’ she adds, ‘I get the feeling my dad’s always lumped me in with his feelings about my mum.

I think he feels betrayed because I chose to live with her.

But I would have been miserable living with him.

Never being able to please him. I had so much more freedom, living with my mum.

And even though she wasn’t always there for me when I needed her – particularly when I needed some support about my career as an artist – at least she didn’t suffocate me.

I know, deep down, he probably does love me, but he just can’t bring himself to show it.

He’s punishing me because my mum left him. ’

I nod slowly. ‘Yes, sure, I get that. But can you also see that he’s now trying to buy your love with the promise of paying off your student loan? If you want him to truly respect you, you need to find a way to live without his financial support or he’s never going to take you seriously.’

The returning nod she gives me is jerky.

‘Yeah, I hear you on that. I was shocked when he offered it and I guess I just agreed to it because it was easier at that point not to make a fuss, so our ruse would go more smoothly. Not that having my loan paid off wouldn’t be amazing.

But I’d probably feel shitty about it later.

I want him to do things like that for me because he thinks I deserve it, not to appease me, or control me in some way. ’

She shrugs and gives me a tight smile.

‘At least Bea’s always genuinely been there for me when I’ve really needed her. Especially in the last year or so. It’s been lovely getting closer to her, now we’re both living in the same city again.’

‘Yeah, she’s really loved that too, so she tells me.’

There’s another heavy pause as we both think about Bea and shuffle a little in our seats.

‘Anyway, the whole episode with my painting taught me that people are very quick to judge others’ work, even – and sometimes especially, in my mum’s case – if they’ve not put out anything themselves, at least not for a while.’

‘Yeah. It can be a judgemental old world.’

‘True. I guess we’re all like that, though.

We like to have our voices heard. But as my lovely friend, Sarah, likes to say, opinions are like arseholes; everyone has one.

It’s just that some honk more than others.

’ She flashes me a smile. ‘I make myself think about that every time I show someone a new painting I’ve done.

I figure, if I like it, then eventually, someone else might too.

And you only need to find that one person for it to sell. ’

‘A good philosophy.’

She shifts on the sofa again, folding her good leg under her.

‘Not that many people actually make it to the level of fame where they can support themselves solely by selling their paintings. I’m realistic about that.

That’s my dad’s influence coming to the fore.

Which is why I really want to hang on to that job at the hotel and why I begged Bea to help me, just while my leg’s messed up.

I’m hoping I can keep a roof over my head with the wage I earn there and make my art around it until I get some sort of breakthrough. That’s the plan, anyway.’

‘Right.’

I realise I’m frowning when she says, ‘And yes, okay. I know it was a real imposition on Bea to ask that of her. And you too, I guess. But I swear, the moment she needs something from me, I’ll be right there for her.’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘You seem uncertain about that.’ Her eyes flash with irritation.

I hold up both hands. ‘No, no. I’m sure you mean every word. And it’s none of my business what you and Bea decide between you.’

‘But…?’

‘No buts. I’m done talking.’ I run my finger across my lips in a zipping motion.

I have to admit, I’m impressed by her resolve to carry on, despite the setbacks. She doesn’t give up and I’m in awe of her tenacity.

Now I’m giving her a chance to show me the real her, I’m beginning to see past the chirpy, chippy persona to the determined woman underneath, trying to forge her own path despite everyone writing her off before she’s had a chance to get there.

It makes me a little ashamed to realise I’ve been one of those people.

But none of this means I should be seriously considering having a proper relationship with her. I have enough on my plate right now, what with caring for my mum and growing the business. She’d be an energy suck on that – something I don’t have the resources for right now.

I’m exhausted as it is.

So I’m just going to treat this as a learning experience. A way to give myself a break from reality for a while.

I figure, when I’m ready to have a relationship, I’ll need it to be with someone like Bea. Though maybe not actually Bea. Not now I’ve fooled around with her sister. But someone who doesn’t need any kind of looking after, anyway.

So it’s just sex for fun with Dee while we’re here. Which will probably only be a day or two, max, surely?

And she seems to be totally fine with that.

I decide to double check.

‘So, to confirm – if we keep doing this fooling-around thing, are you really okay to call it quits when we head back to England? Only, I don’t have the space in my life right now to date.’

‘Damn straight,’ she says, her face falling into a semi-serious expression.

‘ Sure sure?’

‘Yep. It’ll just be a bit of fun, so no straying into feelings territory. We’ll be tectonic plates, briefly rubbing together.’ She gives me a wry wink.

I raise an amused eyebrow back. ‘I’m not sure that’s the most apt metaphor for our current situation.

We’re in the middle of a storm here, not an earthquake.

’ To make my point, I gesture towards the window that’s currently being lashed by high winds and rain and is giving off an ominous rattling noise.

Despite the strength of the glazing, I’m a little concerned that the whole thing might blow in at any time, which is causing a low-level anxiety to swirl in the pit of my stomach.

At least, I think it’s the storm that’s causing it.

Dee rolls her eyes at me. ‘Earthquakes, medicanes , whatever. As long as it’s fun and feels good, I’m up for it.’

She flashes me a grin and I can’t help but smile back. As I’ve come to realise, it’s impossible not to have fun when Dee’s around.

Untucking her leg from under her, she shifts on the sofa and turns her whole body towards me.

‘As soon as we get home, we’ll go back to being plain old “buddies”.

And I promise you, no bunnies will be boiled afterwards.

’ She holds up two fingers with the rest of them folded against her palm, which is facing me.

‘What does that mean?’ I ask, not recognising the gesture.

‘It’s a Brownie promise guiding sign.’

‘A what?’

‘You know.’ She frowns at me like I’m being obtuse. ‘Brownies. The group you can join when you’re in primary school, where you can earn badges for doing things like toasting marshmallows over a fire, or building a bridge of sticks over a stream.’

Laughter bubbles out from my throat. ‘Very wholesome.’

‘That’s me all over.’

I raise a sceptical eyebrow.

‘Okay, maybe not,’ she says, lowering her hand. ‘I suppose I did nearly get thrown out for telling Brown Owl to bugger off once when she told me off for larking about while she was talking.’

I can’t help but laugh at that too, picturing a miniature, defiant Dee, chin tilted up and with a mutinous expression on her face.

My heart does a strange flip.

There’s a pause where we both look at each other, smiles playing on our lips.

Gazing into her face, I have a sudden, strange realisation that I’ve stopped thinking about her as Bea’s pale shadow. She’s become an entity all of her own now. And there’s nothing pale about her.

She’s as vibrant as they come.

I jump as there’s a loud knock on the door.

Dee frowns. ‘Come in,’ she calls, before I can.

The door opens to reveal the butler, Nico.

‘Sorry to disturb you,’ he says, looking between the two of us.

‘No problem. What can we do for you?’ I say.

I’m aware of Dee starting to shake a little next to me. Is she laughing? Hmm. She’s probably remembering her earlier hilarity about finding him and Alina at it in the laundry room.

I have to work hard to suppress my own grin as the image of the two of them flashes into my head again.

He doesn’t seem at all put out by our childish reaction to him appearing here, though. The guy’s a class act. ‘I came to tell you the helicopter won’t be coming today. The weather’s still too bad. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day,’ he says before either of us has a chance to ask.

‘Oh. Okay. So definitely no chance of it before then?’ I ask stupidly.

‘No.’ He’s clearly having to keep from scowling at me. ‘And I’m afraid Sir Jeff’s plane is grounded in Tanzania. It’s had some engine trouble, so won’t be returning to Europe for a while.’

‘Oh,’ we both say at the same time, our voices edged with worry.

‘Sir Jeff has asked me to arrange transport back to England for you, which will have to be on the trains and a ferry. The airports are all closed at the moment because of the storm and all flights have been affected so there’s no availability in the next week.

No boats are sailing yet either because the sea’s too rough. ’

‘I see,’ I say, fighting down a feeling of slight panic. None of this sounds good.

‘I’ll book you into a hotel in Athens, if necessary, before the overland travel. Please leave it with me.’