There was a loud round of applause as Angus stood up and walked over. He was smiling broadly but when he walked it looked as if he was still hurting. He bowed his head as the small iron medal was placed round his neck. He made a show of kissing it and held it up to the crowd. Then he looked in my direction and winked.

‘Our second runner up is Tipsania Scrymgeour!’ Carnegie declared.

Tipsania got to her feet far more stiffly than Angus and walked up to Carnegie. She’d gone all out with her outfit: it was a glittering dress which I could swear was made out of diamonds. There was nothing like flaunting your wealth in front of the great and the good. Now the Games were over, I wondered if she’d notice if I helped myself to a few of those sparkly jewels. It would be minor compensation for what I’d gone through, if nothing else.

Tipsania’s medal was bronze. Although she held it up in a similar manner to Angus, her lip curled slightly as she touched it and I grinned. I guessed she wasn’t used to such ordinary metals.

‘Our first runner up is…’ the MC paused, not for dramatic effect but because he felt disgusted by my name on his lips. My smile grew. He still had to say it. ‘Integrity Adair.’

The noise from the crowd was remarkably pleasing. Not everyone clapped and many had glowering expressions and folded arms. But I’d won over enough people that there weren’t tumbleweeds blowing across the stage. That was enough for me.

I strolled to the front and made a sweeping bow. I wouldn’t let anyone see that I was disappointed at not winning. I turned round and Carnegie gazed sourly at me as I bowed my head. He managed to drop the medal round my neck without brushing my skin. I wondered if he’d practised that move beforehand.

The drum roll started up once more and lights danced across the stage, finally stopping in a circle round Byron. Rather than looking happy, he looked uncomfortable.

‘And the winner of the 2016 Sidhe Highland Games is Byron Moncrieffe!’

Naturally the applause for Byron was the loudest and it seemed as if the very walls of the auditorium rocked. There was a large group of girls – and older women – who screamed his name and flashed considerable cleavage. I shot a sidelong look at Tipsania but she was staring ahead, not looking at the supposed love of her life. I couldn’t work out why she wasn’t happier. She hadn’t won, and she’d still have to navigate the minefield of dealing with her relationship with a Wild Man, but Byron was about to release both of them from their awkward charade. That could only be a good thing, right?

Byron strode forward, his discomfort unable to disguise his confident, sexy, swagger. There were more girlish screams but he didn’t pause to acknowledge the crowd. He simply walked up to the Carnegie MC and shook his hand. He wasn’t even smiling.