Michael drank vigorously from the limousine bar during that drive – straight whiskey. I joined in the rock and roll party by having a rum and Coke. It wasn’t even lunchtime, but we were rock stars. It was fun. Exciting. That’s who we were and what we did.

Michael and I were getting along a little better since the tour ended. He seemed to want a lot of sex all of a sudden, and I was desperate to be with him.

I wore leopard-print leggings, a red vest held together by safety pins and spiked-up hair. Sexy punk rock chick, just like Michael wanted. And I was skinny, like he wanted too. Skinnier than I’d ever been thanks to his comments about my weight.

Michael dressed all in black.

I remember joking about bed linen and hanging pictures, because of course I wasn’t that kind of girl – the home-making kind. That’s what a wife would do. What Diane had done. But I was too cool for all of that.

I also remember asking if I could call my sister when we reached the house.

‘What do you want to call her for?’ Michael asked. ‘You have me now.’

‘Just to tell her I’m okay. Dee worries about me. Especially since the cancer—’

‘Well, she shouldn’t. I’m taking care of you now. She should stop interfering in your life, Lorna. It’s not normal.’

‘She doesn’t interfere. I’ve only called her once since I came away with you, and Dee can’t call me. She’s my sister, Michael.’

‘Are you a grown-up or a little girl? We’re in a real adult relationship here. Or are you still a child, needing a mammy to look after you. Which is it?’

‘I’m a grown-up.’

‘So what do you need to call your sister for? You know she’s crazy jealous, don’t you? I don’t want you having anything to do with her. She’s toxic.’

‘She’s my sister, Michael. She’s been there for me my whole life. She worries—’

‘Can you stop going on about this, Lorna? The phone line isn’t set up for international calls anyway. You’ll have to write her a letter.’

Eventually, the limo drove down a long, tree-lined lane, then stopped outside a dark wood of Christmas trees and cobwebby branches. There were huge, wrought-iron gates with dragons chasing around in the metalwork. I thought the whole place looked haunted.

‘Here we are,’ said Michael. ‘Our country love nest.’

‘Where’s the house?’ I asked.

‘It’s there through the trees,’ said Michael. ‘There’s a lot of building work going on right now. See the scaffolding?’