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I slid my handbag beneath my seat and stared through the window that overlooked the runways. I focused on the freedom that had risen a moment ago, and refused to let any doubts creep in.

I was not going to marry a man who slept with my best friend and bridesmaid—my former best friend—the day before we were supposed to promise our lives and love to each other. It had been clear from the giggling and voices coming from behind that closed door exactly what was going on. I’d been naive; when I thought back to the social occasions where Serena always seemed to turn up, I realised that Brad and Serena had always been too touchy-feely for platonic friends.

I didn’t care that a mess had been left behind. That could be sorted by Mum and Joanie; after all they’d organised the whole shebang. All I was supposed to do was get dressed in the designer gown, be lathered in makeup and turn up at the church and then dance at the reception.

And you know what?

I didn’t care one bit that I wasn’t marrying Brad. I’d been railroaded into the engagement and then the wedding by both our families.

You know I can’t even recall that Brad ever proposed.

When I was a teenager, I’d read my grandmother’s romance novels, and I’d fallen in love with the idea of love.

Love at first sight. That moment when you saw him and knew that this was the man you would love. Back in those days, I’d looked forward to meeting someone who made my heart race, that special someone who looked at me as though I was the most important person in his world. Someone who loved the things that I did, and someone who was happy in my company. A man who wanted me to be happy.

I’d given up on my fairy-tale dream a long time ago. Because Brad had never done any of that, and I’d simply gone with the flow. That’s all it had been. There was no such thing as love.

And love at first sight?

Pfft. The stuff of dreams and romance novels.

I sighed as my flight was called.

Think of this as an escape, Jane.

Once I was on the jet I leaned back and rested my head against the cushion as exhaustion overtook me. I hadn’t slept for the two nights in the hotel. It wouldn’t hurt to close my eyes for a short while now.

It seemed like only minutes later that the flight attendant was shaking my shoulder gently.

‘We’re about to land, madam. Can you please put your window blind up and bring your seat upright?’

The jet circled the island once and the wheels came down with a bump as we descended. I swallowed; I hated flying, so sleeping for most of the flight had been good. All I had to do now was survive the landing, and the next short flight to Deception Island.

We disembarked, and as I entered the terminal, a voice with a lilting accent announced that the flight to Deception Island had been delayed by an hour. My luggage was booked through so all I had to do was head to the transit lounge and wait for the flight to be called.

Holding my boarding pass, I walked across to the coffee lounge and queued behind two tall men, before I ordered my coffee. I dug into my pocket and pulled out the ten dollar note that I’d put in there earlier to save digging my wallet out of my bag. The men were speaking loudly, and it was hard not to listen to their conversation. I don’t think they realised there was anyone behind them. I shrugged and tried to switch off. They were obviously locals as they had the same lilting accent as the speaker over the PA system.

‘So, you’ve been nightclubbing with the lady tourists again,’ the man in the white shirt said.

‘You know me. I can’t help myself,’ the other one replied.

‘You’ve always loved the ladies, Linc. Just as well he’s going to marry you off.’

The second man chuckled, and he had an attractive deep laugh, but their conversation unsettled me. ‘No, he can’t. I told him I have a fiancée all lined up to keep him happy.’

‘Do I know this mystery woman?’

‘No, but the funny thing is, neither do I. I haven’t got one yet.’

‘We’ll go through my phone contacts. We’ve got time.’

Disgust curled in my stomach.

Men. They were the same the world over.

I stepped forward as they moved away with their coffees and the man who was supposedly searching for a fiancée stared at me. A strange tingling zinged through my nerve endings and I frowned,

‘Don’t even think about it, buddy,’ I thought.