She gaped at him. ‘No, I didn’t!’ But belatedly she remembered the vodkas she had knocked back less than half an hour before. ‘I wasn’t drunk,’ she protested.

‘Maybe the ship rocked, or a gust of wind…’ The two men turned to each other as they mused upon the situation.

Paula sank back into her chair. ‘I was pushed,’ she said. But her words were so quiet the men didn’t hear her. Or if they did, they didn’t respond.

Fatigue overtook her and she breathed deeply. As traumatic as it was, she went back in her mind to the deck. Had she really been pushed? Or had the wind been so strong that it had buffeted her to the ground?

Her eyes wandered over to the bottle of vodka on the side. Nausea overcame her and she swallowed rapidly. Maybe she had been drunk. But if she had, she was stone-cold sober now.

‘Hey, I thought I heard voices. Is everything all right?’

Anna was standing in the doorway. To Paula she looked as perfect as ever, not a hair out of place, her eyes not remotely sleepy as she tightened the belt of the thin robe she wore.

Paula looked down at her hands in her lap and prayed silently that Tommy wouldn’t tell Anna what had happened to her. It was only the third day of their cruise, and already she had had more mishaps than most people usually had during a lifetime of holidays.

At the sight of Anna, Dermot sprang up and went over to her, and Paula watched as they talked quietly by the door, Anna nodding, gasping, casting worried glances Paula’s way.

‘I think I need to rest,’ Paula said to Tommy.

He stood by the French windows, staring out at the black night. The clouds had dulled the moon; no chance of seeing the Northern Lights tonight. Besides, it was getting on for morning now. From the corner of her eye, Paula saw Anna drift over, ghost-like, a vision in white.

‘I’m fine,’ she said before Anna could speak. ‘But severely sleep-deprived.’ She attempted a smile, but failed miserably. ‘I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.’

Anna nodded and leaned forward, kissing Paula’s cheek. Her lips were cold as ice.

‘See you at breakfast, Tommy, Dermot,’ she called, and slipped out of the room as silently as she had arrived.

Paula watched her go, realising that their romantic holiday had suddenly become a group outing.

‘I’ll walk you back,’ said Dermot, skipping smartly out of the door. ‘See you guys tomorrow. Paula, get some rest.’

The door closed behind them, and Paula looked over at Tommy, still motionless by the doors.

‘How are you feeling?’ he asked, coming to kneel beside her.

She allowed him to hold her, and leaned her head on his shoulder. ‘I was sure someone pushed me, Tommy,’ she whispered.