He woofed.

‘The funny thing is, when I first saw him…he seemed decent, as if he really loved the sun and the fresh air; like someone who’d found himself in heaven. But when I discovered who he was he looked different. And then he was so rotten to you-’

Suddenly she sat up and threw her arms around the dog.

‘You must be careful,’ she said fiercely. ‘You must, you must! If anything happened to you I couldn’t bear it.’

Harriet buried her face against him. Phantom made a gentle sound, but he didn’t try to move. This often happened, and he knew what he must do: keep still, stay warm and gentle, just be there for her. Instinct told him what she needed, and his heart told him how to give it.

‘They think I’m crazy,’ she whispered, ‘getting paranoid over your safety. Well, perhaps I really am crazy, but you’re all I’ve got-without you, there’s no love or happiness in the world…only you…’

She kissed him and gave a shaky laugh.

‘I expect you think I’m crazy too. Poor old boy. Come on, let’s get home and you can have something special to eat.’

They left the beach, climbing the gently sloping road that led to the town. Suddenly she stopped. Far away, she could just make out the house where Rancing had lived before he fled, and where ‘the ogre’ would soon appear. It went by the grandiose name of Giant’s Beacon, which might have been justified in its great days, but seemed rather over-the-top now that it was in a state of disrepair. At this distance it was tiny, but it stood out against the moonlit sky, and she could just make out that lights were coming on.

‘He’s here,’ she breathed. ‘Oh, heavens, let’s get home, fast.’

They ran all the way, and as soon as they were safely inside Harriet locked the door.

Within hours of Darius’s arrival the news had spread throughout the island. Kate, who’d kept house for Rancing, had a ready audience in the pub that evening.