‘She doesn’t need to know,’ Rupert implored. ‘Please, Sadie. I did try to tell her in a roundabout way. I tried to persuade her that Thailand would be nice, but she wouldn’t listen, and it was too late. She’d already booked it.’

Sadie had just looked away, changing the subject, but Rupert hadn’t missed the look on her face. Now, he pushes the memory down, out of sight, convinced that despite Sadie’s disapproval, he has made the right choice. The hotel is one hundred per cent high-end luxury, and he’s determined to make new memories here with Emily over the next fortnight.

‘So, what do you think of the honeymoon so far?’ he asks Emily, as she pins her short curls up into some complicated hairstyle in front of the mirror. Her skin already glows with the beginnings of a light tan.

‘Beautiful.’ Emily meets his eyes in the mirror and smiles, a tiny lifting of her lips. ‘Everything I hoped it would be.’

‘What made you decide on this place? Apart from the reviews, obviously. I thought you’d be more… I don’t know, India, or Peru. Somewhere… less relaxing.’ Rupert genuinely is curious about Emily’s decision. The fact that he’s even had to ask her just shows how much they still have to learn about each other. He could have told you that Caro would have picked the Caribbean every time, thanks to fond memories of childhood holidays (Rupert’s childhood holiday memories were more Cornwall than Caribbean), and a love of long days stretched out on the sand soaking up the sun.

‘Someone recommended it.’ Emily pouts into the glass, pressing her lips together and checking her lipstick hasn’t gone astray.

‘Someone?’ Rupert frowns.

‘Yes, Sadie or Amanda, it might even have been Will. I don’t remember who exactly.’ Emily spins on the stool to face him, satisfied that she is finally ready to go down to the restaurant. ‘We were talking about honeymoon destinations and one of them recommended Barbados. Hastings. They said that you had been to the island before and you loved it, that if I wanted to make the honeymoon really special, Barbados was the place to go. And then when I found this hotel, I thought it looked perfect – the ideal place to relax after the wedding. It was pretty stressful.’ A cloud crosses her features.

Why would Sadie or Amanda recommend coming here to Emily? It’s true, he does love the island, always has done ever since Caro brought him here the first time they went away together, but he’d rather have gone somewhere different, somewhere where there was no ghost of Caro looking on. Now he’ll feel on edge for two weeks, worried he’ll upset Emily by letting something slip about being here with Caro.

‘I’m sorry again about the song cock-up. I really don’t have any idea how it happened.’