‘It’s my pleasure – I am your Matron of Honour, after all.’ Sadie raises her glass to mine and we clumsily clink together.

Yes, Sadie is my Matron of Honour. Hence the reason why Mags has somehow ended up not being invited. Some might think it a bit strange, the best friend of my fiancé’s dead wife being so involved, but Sadie has been helpful, despite us getting off to a shaky start. And there wasn’t really anyone else I could ask to do the job. My mind flickers briefly to Mags, and I shake the thought away. Mags wouldn’t fit in with this crowd, the new set of friends that I’ve worked hard over the past couple of months to make my own. Thinking of Mags sobers me up, and I realize that it’s two o’clock in the morning and I really just want to go to bed.

‘I’m going back to the hotel,’ I shout into Sadie’s ear, ‘Amanda already left and I might be able to catch her up.’ I slink away before Sadie can persuade me to change my mind.

Outside, the air is cool and refreshing. We are in the midst of a heatwave, but it feels tonight as if the weather might break. I take in a huge gulp of fresh air, hoping that it might revive me and sober me up a little. I feel weird, a bit spacey and off kilter, and I wish I hadn’t let Sadie and Amanda ply me with so many cocktails. Glancing down the street I get my bearings and start to walk the short distance back to our hotel.

It’s only once I’ve crossed the road and am passing a darkened strip of shops that I first think that perhaps I can hear footsteps. I slow, and glance across the street, too scared to look over my shoulder. I strain to listen, but I can’t hear anything, only the hard, fast thump of my pulse in my ears. Muttering under my breath, I shake my head, feeling like an idiot, but still I start to walk faster, the lights of the sign for our hotel visible in the distance. The clack of my heels rings in my ears as I realize that I can hear something; I can hear a second set of footsteps behind me and I step up the pace, my heart thundering in my chest and my breath coming loud in my ears as my ankle rolls in my stupidly high shoes.