For someone who usually prided herself on being a logical person, reason and logic had fled.

All she knew was she couldn’t possibly do what was expected of her.

‘It’s a pity your sister couldn’t stay any longer,’ said Penny to Colin.

‘Is it? I can’t say I mind too much myself. I love my sister but she does poke her nose into everything. An awful lot.’

‘Does she? I hadn’t really noticed,’ Penny replied. She guessed these kind of white lies were OK when it came to the matter of her beloved’s family. When Colin had fallen in love with her, he had taken her family on board too. And Elle and Ned weren’t exactly what you would call run of the mill.

‘Don’t feign innocence. I know she drove you mad too, poking into every last detail of your life. She even made a list of potentially suitable locations for the wedding, when I told her we would absolutely be having it here.’

There were a few moments of silence as Penny continued to fold towels. Colin was stretched out on the sofa, having just come in from the garden.

‘Wedding?’ she enquired. ‘Is Tricia getting married?’

He tut-tutted. ‘Our wedding, of course.’

Penny looked up. ‘Our wedding?’ she gasped, wide-eyed. ‘But we’ve never even talked about anything like . . .’

‘Haven’t we?’ Colin said, rising from the couch and slapping his palm to his forehead. ‘Do you mean to say I haven’t even asked you yet? That must be why I’m still carrying this around.’

And he pulled a small box from his overalls.

Penny and Colin spent the afternoon of their engagement delivering towels to the bedrooms and putting finishing touches in the common areas.

But, at the same time, they couldn’t have been happier.

Elle drove along the coast road in a haze. She knew this was where Rob had had his accident and could see the temporary barrier that had been put up where he had crashed through the rails.

She didn’t want to think about Rob, though. He went round and round in her head with no resolution. She now had two reasons for being guilty: one, for causing his accident in the first place, and two, for not going to see him when he woke up. She wasn’t sure why. That day when he’d first regained consciousness she’d immediately thought that wild horses couldn’t keep her away from the hospital but then something – she wasn’t sure what – prevented her from going over there. It was much easier to be around him when he was still unconscious, when he didn’t have the power to crush her heart. Penny had called her childish for not going but she had paid no attention. Why did she keep making the same mistakes over and over again?