Ally tossed and turned in her hot cabin. Dinner had been uneasy, with each of the sisters independently struggling to understand the gravity of what they had read earlier. Floriano and Chrissie had done a good job of filling any silences, and Rory and Valentina had entertained the table with their charming developing friendship. Nonetheless, the atmosphere was noticeably tense, which was hardly a surprise given the circumstances. Ally had caught Jack’s eye a few times as they ate, but he had looked away to avoid any awkwardness. She wished she’d addressed the ‘Bear situation’ in the cabin earlier, but had been too nervous. She felt stupid. The longer it went unspoken, the stranger it surely seemed to Jack.

Ally’s phone buzzed, and she saw that she had a new voicemail. Reception was patchy out at sea, but clearly Hans had anchored them within reach of a local mast. She dialled her message service.

‘Hello, Ally. It’s Celia here . . .’ Theo’s mother’s voice crackled on the recording. ‘I hope you’re well, my darling, and little Bear! I’m so looking forward to seeing the pair of you again in London. Do let me know if you have any plans to come over. If not, I shall pack my thermals and make my way to Norway! Listen, I know that you’re on your cruise in honour of your wonderful pa . . . So I just wanted to give you a call to let you know I’m thinking of you, dear. And I’m sure that wherever he is, Theo is smiling down on you, too. Sending lots of love to you, darling. Bye.’

Ally put the phone down, and a fresh wave of guilt washed over her. Celia Falys-Kings’s voice was so full of genuine affection. Yes, she had feelings for Jack, but shuddered at the thought of disrespecting Bear’s father’s memory.

‘I’m sorry, Theo,’ she whispered.

Even though her sisters were cheering her on, Ally reflected on what others might think – what would her brother Thom’s opinion be if she and Jack ever . . .? It wasn’t exactly a great look to snag a new boyfriend less than one year after your partner had died. In addition to that, the last thing she wished to do was to upset Merry, who must have been finding this whole experience surreal enough, without her new adopted sister being inappropriately affectionate towards her own son.

‘Oh God.’ Ally sighed.

‘Ally? Are you awake?’ whispered a voice from outside her cabin door. She tiptoed over and gently opened it. Tiggy stood there, in her Titan robe. ‘Hi! Sorry, I didn’t want to knock and risk waking Bear.’

‘Oh, don’t worry about it. He’s out for the count. Would you like to come in?’

‘Thank you.’ Tiggy had an uncanny ability to glide into rooms, like a graceful, elegant spirit. It was a light, ethereal quality which Ally had always admired. ‘I just wanted to check something, as I zoned out a little at dinner. Did we agree to read another one hundred pages of the diary by tomorrow lunchtime?’

‘Yes, that’s right. Then we’re going to regroup and discuss.’

‘Lovely, sounds like a plan. Thanks, Ally.’ Tiggy turned towards the door, but paused by Bear’s cot. She looked down at her sleeping nephew. ‘Little Bear. Hard to believe that it was only a few months ago in a cave in Granada when you decided to surprise us all . . . particularly your mummy!’ she whispered.

Ally smiled at the memory. ‘You know, I don’t think Charlie will ever be quite the same after watching Angelina that night. Five years of medical school were no substitute for a bruja and her knowledge when Bear decided to appear so suddenly.’

‘Well, he shouldn’t be too downhearted. There’s only so much a bruja can do at the end of the day . . . I’m sure you were grateful for the painkillers he prescribed you afterwards!’ Tiggy gave her sister a wink. Then she looked back down at Bear. ‘He says to look at the letter, by the way.’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘He wants you to look at the letter.’ Tiggy gave Ally a wide smile.

‘Who? Bear? What do you mean? I . . .’

‘I’m not sure. I hope that’s helpful. I’m off to bed. Night, Ally.’ Tiggy embraced her sister and headed for the door.

Once it was shut, Ally’s heart skipped a beat. Tiggy could only have been referring to one thing. She walked over to her suitcase and opened a zip pocket in the lining. From within, she retrieved the only letter in her possession. It was Theo’s, of course, which she carried with her everywhere. This was not information Ally shared around, and nobody else had ever laid eyes on it. Trembling a little, she slowly opened the envelope, and her eyes skipped down to Theo’s penultimate paragraph, like they always did.

And if by any chance you get to read this, look up at the stars, and know I am looking down on you. And probably having a beer with your pa, as I hear all about your childhood habits.

My Ally – Alcyone – you have no idea what joy you’ve brought me.

Be HAPPY! That is your gift.

Theo xxx

The image of Theo and Pa sharing a drink and a smile brought Ally an enormous amount of happiness. She knew how much her father would have approved of him, and hoped very much that they had been able to meet in another life. Now, what was it that Tiggy had said?

He wants you to read the letter.

Ally stared down at the only capitalised word on the page, which her eye was drawn to like a magnet.

Be HAPPY!

A lump arrived in Ally’s throat. She walked over to the cabin window and bent her knees so that she could look up to the stars. ‘Thank you, Theo. Give Pa a hug from me.’ She placed the letter safely back in the zip lining of her suitcase, and climbed into bed. Ally knew immediately that trying to sleep would prove futile, since her mind was more crowded than the Grand Plaza in Oslo. She grabbed her phone once more and sent Jack a text.

Thanks for looking after Bear earlier. Sleep well! x

She received a response almost immediately:

Pleasure Al! You too x

She eyed the pages of the diary on the dresser. Inside were answers. The agreement had been that the sisters would read another hundred pages in the morning, but knowing there were revelations just inches away, she decided she would read on.