Alice was so nervous, she could hardly keep her hands steady to fasten the zip on her favourite black dress. She added strappy gold sandals with a belt to match, pinned up her hair, leaving some curly tendrils hanging loose, and inspected herself in the mirror. She felt happy with what she saw. Her skin was still lightly tanned from a recent walking holiday, and tonight she seemed to have a bloom that was nothing to do with make-up.

‘Calm down, woman,’ she told her reflection sternly. ‘You’re old enough to know better than to get into a state, just because an attractive Italian man pays you some attention.’

She hadn’t seen Roberto for a few days – he and his daughter Gabriella were visiting relatives in London and were due back tonight, New Year’s Eve.

Alice and some friends were joining them for a celebration dinner. They would be a happy crowd and everyone was looking forward to a relaxing evening.

Gabriella was the owner of a local Italian restaurant. A couple of years ago, she had approached