Ruby is reluctant to go ashore when Joe moors on Tresco. They’ve spent an hour anchored in New Grimsby Sound, lying on the deck with the sun beating down. She’s glad of a break from the relentless pressure she’s been under, and it’s easy to ignore her duty while they’re afloat. Setting foot on land will return her to reality.
‘Wait till you see the gardens, Chloe. They’re gorgeous this time of year.’
Joe is holding out his hand to help her disembark. When she hesitates, he grabs her waist and swings her onto the jetty; she feels weightless and carefree for an instant, but the sensation soon passes.
‘You’re built like a ballet dancer,’ he says.
‘I’m stronger than I look.’
‘Race me then, tough girl.’
He sets off down an undulating path that leads through stands of reeds, and dunes covered in marram grass, towards the island’s centre. Ruby’s wound aches when they reach the Abbey Gardens, but at least she won. Joe is bent double, laughing at her with wheezing breaths.
‘I bet you can run your way out of trouble.’
‘Always.’
She barely notices when he takes her hand, distracted by the lush gardens. Huge trees overhang the path, too many varieties to name, the air heady with the vanilla scent of flowers.
‘Let’s go to the Valhalla Museum first. I loved it as a kid.’
When they reach a wooden-framed building Ruby sees dozens of brightly painted figures. A life-sized woman gazes down from the wall, her scarlet lips set in a wooden smile, turquoise eyes staring straight ahead.
‘Where do they come from, Joe?’
‘They’re mastheads from local shipwrecks. Sailors thought they guaranteed good luck on long voyages, but divers had to bring all these to the surface.’
‘They’re beautiful, but creepy too.’ She touches the woman’s painted cheek. It’s cold, despite the day’s heat, and she can’t help shivering. ‘Can we get out of here?’
He stops in front of her, hands settling on her shoulders. ‘The figures won’t hurt you. Something else is wrong, isn’t it?’
‘It’s nothing, Joe.’
‘I’m a good listener, if you want to talk.’
‘Thanks, but I just need some caffeine.’
‘Follow me. The café’s five minutes away.’
He leads her to an enclosed garden full of birdsong. Sparrows descend and peck at crumbs on the table where Ruby sits; even the wildlife is tamer than any she’s seen before. London’s pigeons are wily enough to scatter at the sound of footsteps. She shuts her eyes and blocks out her surroundings. Nothing matters except her dad’s plan: she’ll follow it whatever that takes. The thought is still in her mind when Joe crosses the lawn with two cups of coffee. He’s so good-looking, it requires little effort to keep her smile bright when he sets them on the table.