‘That’s rather nice,’ I said.
‘Unless one of them leaks or something,’ Alec added. ‘And the invitation ends up covered in ink splotches. Not so nice then.’
That sounded as if that had actually happened but I thought it best not to ask.
‘Right. I’ll tell Adele and Marcus that we feel they’re not really required. Wow. This wedding planning lark is easier than I thought.’
Sam laughed. ‘Except you haven’t got a church, or a Register office, or a celebrant, or whatever, yet. Or a venue for the reception, a caterer, music, or transportation. I’d offer my bikes, but I can’t see Adele arriving on the back of a Honda Gold Wing Tour bike, however comfortable it might be. I’ll ask my parents who they used for all their weddings.’
‘Perfect,’ I said. ‘I’ll start looking onto all the other stuff tomorrow. More wine?’
By the time Lucy and Sam prepared to leave, along with Noelle and Alec, we’d managed to tick off quite a few things. There was a long way to go, but we had four weeks.
‘Shall we share a cab?’ Noelle asked Lucy. ‘I’m staying at Alec’s tonight. His dad dropped us off, but it’s a bit late to call him to come and get us.’
‘Yeah,’ Lucy said. ‘We walked here tonight, because we knew there’d be wine. And it was such a lovely evening.’
We all hugged, and kissed each other’s cheeks, and I stood in the doorway and waved them off when the taxi picked them up from the car park. It was only when I closed the front door, that realisation dawned.
Noelle and Alec were spending the night at his place in Fairlight Bay, and Lucy and Sam were going to Sam’s house. Marcus and Adele were spending the night at a Spa Hotel several miles away. Which meant, I was the only person who would be sleeping up here, in the cottages on Midwinter Lane.
I wasn’t scared of being alone, but I’d never been quite so alone as I felt at that moment, and I’ll admit, a shiver ran through me.
‘Don’t be such a girl,’ I said, laughing at myself as I turned off the lights and made my way upstairs.
As if anything was going to happen in such a sleepy little place like Midwinter.
Even so, I tossed and turned for about an hour. Every creak and every animal noise, made me feel less and less like sleeping. Especially when a vixen screamed. Yes, screamed. That’s the only way I can describe the awful sound.
I sat bolt upright in bed and turned on the light.
Except it didn’t turn on. The room was pitch black.
I ran my hand along the bedside table for my phone but it wasn’t there.
Damn it. Had I left it downstairs?
I got out of bed and used my hands to feel my way to the window and then I peeped out through the curtains.
The sky was like black velvet sprinkled with gold dust as myriad stars twinkled above. There was no moon tonight and I’d never experienced such complete and total darkness. Nevertheless, it was beautiful.
Wait. Even the street lamps on Midwinter Lane were off.
Had there been a power cut?
I slowly made my way to the main light switch, banging my knee on the bed frame, and stubbing my toe on a chair leg, but eventually I made it. I flicked the switch on and off.
Nothing.
Okay. This was the sort of thing that happened in horror movies.
Should I go downstairs and get my phone and call Lucy and ask if I could go and stay with her and Sam?
I checked the time on my watch and even the luminous glow from the dial of that was somehow eerie. It was almost midnight. They’d be fast asleep.
My heart thumped in my chest.
And then I heard it. It sounded like someone was rattling chains, or something.
