I looked at my watch: 10 p.m. It was earlier than I’d go to bed at home, but being in the sun all day, and running around like we had done, meant I was pretty sleepy too.

‘Sorry,’ I pressed. ‘I shouldn’t have brought up Alexander. He emailed me the other day. I’ve been trying not to think of him ever since.’

Patrick nibbled on his bottom lip. ‘What did he say?’

‘The truth,’ I admitted. ‘That he called it off in the worst possible way, but that we should never have got engaged.’

‘Is that true, though?’

‘A week ago I wouldn’t have thought so but now I’m here, now I’ve got a bit more perspective, maybe. Yeah. I think we were just too scared to break up because we’d been together so long, and so instead we just did what was expected.’

‘Hmmmm,’ he said. ‘Okay.’

The thought had been wheedling its way onto my tongue for the past few days. It was like a confession, and in saying it to Patrick I’d released the power of it. Alexander was right. We shouldn’t have been getting married. I’d been scared of being left behind. Understanding that made me feel ashamed. It was upsetting to admit – especially to somebody who’d been married and had been very much head over heels about his partner.

‘You certainly took a right turn on what was expected by bringing me along on your honeymoon, anyway,’ Patrick said. ‘And if it’s okay, to say thank you, I’ve organized a surprise for our first day in Sydney. So disregard the itinerary, because it’s Paddy’s Plan for our first full day on the east coast.’

‘A surprise?’ I echoed, aware at the back of my mind that he always seemed to drive the conversation away from Alexander. ‘What?’

‘Just trust me.’ He shifted in his seat, looking quite proud of himself for the very fact of having a secret.

‘Pretty please?’ I requested, fluttering my eyelashes. I wanted to talk about the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow would be even better than today, and the day after even better, because I’d be even stronger. Even happier. I didn’t want the trip to pass by quickly, but there was a comfort in knowing that time really did heal.

Patrick moved his weight again, this time so he was leaning over the arm of his chair, closer to me than he’d ever been. I swallowed hard and licked my lips, my throat drying up at what could happen.

‘Now, now,’ he said, lowering his voice. ‘Play fair. With those big eyes you’re abusing your power, Annie.’