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The skin over his nose and forehead was flushed still but when Abel opened his grey-green eyes to her his gaze was unblinking and direct. He spoke slowly. ‘I can see you, Temperance.’

Her hands were still holding his. ‘Good. That’s . . . good.’ She slipped her fingers away and stood back. ‘Margie should get that machine checked out.’

‘I’ll tell her. Maybe something fell in there and set it off. I swear that steam looked purple as it was coming at me.’

‘Um, right.’ Temperance tried to gulp back the lump in her throat.

‘Actually, can you watch the bar for me? I’ll tell Gran about her demon machine.’

Temperance nodded numbly. ‘No worries.’

She went back to her sandwich and was silently worrying about what other inanimate objects might start magically attacking Abel, when Mark popped his head around the heavy front door. ‘Hello? Are you open?’

‘They’re open.’ Temperance waved him in.

‘Temperance, hi. Is Susie around? She’s promised me the perfect fish and chips to help put an end to my three-day hangover. Fair, when she was the one behind the sambucas. I could have sworn I told her that was not my poison.’

Temperance trilled out a fake, tinkling laugh at the word ‘poison’. ‘She is a one. Must not have heard you properly over the jukebox. I’ll go and get her for you.’

She sped off to the kitchen, nipping quietly through the swing door. She didn’t see Susie straight away, but she did see the broad back of Abel as he rolled an orange back and forwards along the stainless steel counter with one hand and pressed his phone to his ear with the other. The way his hand moved, slowly and smoothly, had Temperance back in the dream where she was up against the wooden door, his hands all over her, squeezing tight . . .She shook her head like a wet dog to dispel the image.

‘. . . much rather be hanging out with you, too. I don’t like it but it’s something I’ve got to do. I know, babe. Maybe another week? Yeah, OK.’

He turned on the spot and locked eyes with Temperance, his jaw falling open ever so slightly.

‘Sorry,’ she blurted, her stomach trying to make its way out through her mouth, ‘looking for Suse.’

Her heart was pulsing in her ears as she walked blindly towards the pub garden instead, finding Susie polishing silverware at one of the tables, under an umbrella.

‘Mark’s here. In the pub.’

Susie’s eyes lit up with a manic energy. ‘Go time!’ She snatched up the jacket in a bag next to her and went inside.

Temperance picked up a fork and napkin, rubbing at a water mark. She decided that it was much safer out here with the cutlery.

Twenty minutes later, from over the fence she heard Mark and Susie open the pub’s front door.

‘I thought it was a good place to moor at the time. Maybe it’s not. And I’d hate to get caught in anything choppy today. I could just call a taxi to take me home, leave the rig here.’

‘Hmmm,’ Susie said without commitment. ‘You could.’

‘I don’t know quite what to do . . .’ his voice trailed off. ‘Oh, um. I brought this for you. But maybe you already have it.’

‘Rough Guide to San Sebastian. Oh. Thanks.’ Susie’s voice was flat.

‘I knew one of the guys at the boat club had been, so I borrowed it off him this morning. He said you can keep it. If you like. I think you’d have a great adventure there. And I would—’

‘The other night,’ Susie suddenly cut in, ‘you said you had an exciting project you wanted to tell me about. But we didn’t get a chance to talk about it. But I’ve got a little time now?’

There was a pause on Mark’s end. ‘Did I say that? I suppose . . . it’s still up in the air, though. Lots of hurdles to go over. Might not get very far at all with it. Red tape, you know. A solo project of mine, and my family . . . aren’t always easy to convince. Now I think of it, I really should rush back. Don’t want to piss off my dad. Goodbye, Suse.’

Temperance heard footsteps on gravel as he crunched hurriedly away. After a good beat, Susie yelled out, ‘Hear all that?’

‘Yup.’

‘I’d say we’re in business. Or more like – he’s not. Ha! Belladonna, you little beauty.’

Chapter 19