'Oh, Nicky.’ Mark burst through the cottage door and ran down the verandah steps. He threw his arms around her. ‘I’m so glad I found you. I’ve been worried sick about you, princess.’

Nicole stiffened in his embrace.

Mark released his hold. ‘It must have been so frightening for you, having a breakdown like that. But I’m here now. It’ll be okay.’

‘What?’ Nicole shook her head, trying to turn her brain on.

Mark was here. And he was happy to see her. Not angry. Happy.

He pulled her inside the cottage.

‘What … What are you doing here?’ Nicole found her voice. A little shaky, but actual words.

‘I’ve come to take you home, princess.’ He embraced her again.

‘What?’

He patted her head. ‘We can get you some help. Deal with whatever it was that caused your breakdown and then everything will be okay again.’

‘You think …’

‘I think you’re very lucky I found you. It wasn’t easy, you know. But none of that matters now. What matters,’ he kissed her again, seemingly oblivious to the fact she wasn’t kissing him back, ‘what matters is I found you and I love you and I’m never letting you go again.’

Nicole’s mind was blank. What? How? She had to think. But she couldn’t.

Inside her head she was shouting. Inside her mind she was racing down the street to seek refuge with her friends.

But she didn’t make a sound. She didn’t budge.

Mark sat himself on the sofa. ‘Come. Sit.’

She couldn’t move.

‘Nicky, don’t you think you should offer your fiancé more welcome than that? I’ve come a long way to find you.’

She sat beside him. ‘Fiancé …’ she said.

‘That’s right.’ He stroked her leg. ‘Remember? We made a promise to each other.’ He pulled her engagement ring out of his pocket and slipped it on her finger. ‘I know we have some problems, but surely we can work them out.’

Nicole started to shake.

‘It’s okay, Nicky. I’m here now. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. This must be quite a shock. Let me make it better now.’

‘How did you find me?’

He shook his head. ‘It wasn’t easy. But I found your editing website. I tracked down one of the authors you’d worked with and I convinced them I needed to make contact with you, desperately. Once I had your email address, I used the one of the firm’s private investigators. It cost me a lot of money, but it’s worth it to have you back.’

In the dark, Nicole lay stiffly in bed. Behind her Mark lay snoring, his hand resting on her hip.