"I've written out a list of the fresh stores you need," she told Mark. He was busy supervising the filling of their fuel tanks from a tanker lorry on the dock and merely gave her a nod and thrust the list in his pocket.

Feeling in the way, Layla went back to the galley to make sure it was sparkling clean. She didn't want Alfred to have a chance to criticize her, even after she had gone. Her hands were better now; she just wore a couple of waterproof band-aids on her right hand.

The sound of a motor horn attracted her to the porthole, and Layla looked out to...