Olivia sipped her coffee and stared out the window to the back garden. The garden that had made Rosie’s eyes widen last night, the same as they’d done with the entire house. With her intentions, she’d had no choice but to bring her back here, but she knew the house was a bit of a giveaway to her background. To Olivia, it was just another house; to Rosie, it was a manor where the rich lived. Olivia had seen the cogs whirring in Rosie’s brain, and she’d fully intended to tell her, to come clean. She’d tried once, then twice, but Rosie hadn’t wanted her to speak, and then the evening had spiralled out of control in the best possible way.

But she wasn’t sorry she’d done it — how could she be? Last night had been incredible; this morning, too. Waking up with Rosie, she’d been overwhelmed with a sense of calm, as well as comfort and relief.

She’d been studying the relief bit for the past half hour. Relief? Was that the right emotion? But then she’d nodded to nobody in particular: relief was spot-on. Olivia was relieved she’d finally met someone who was real — and more importantly, who made her feel real, too.

However, now, with spectacular timing, she was leaving today. Going back to her Surrey estate, back to London to see her family, back to her real life. The very one where she could never be real. Wasn’t that ironic?

Her phone beeping broke her train of thought and she looked down. She’d had four missed calls from Alexandra, but she’d ignored them. She got on well enough with her sister, but she wasn’t in the mood this morning. Alexandra took her royal duties seriously, being next in line to the throne; Olivia, not so much. She wasn’t built for the spotlight, she was built for a quieter life. But destiny had other ideas.

The text message wasn’t from her sister this time, though: it was from Olivia’s private secretary, letting her know that Gina had passed her retake, and her citizenship application had been fast-tracked — she could now stay in the country indefinitely. Olivia had even paid the fee for the visa, to ensure as little friction as possible when it came to Rosie’s chef sticking around. She couldn’t wait to tell both Gina and Rosie, and she grinned as she blew out a breath. She might be going, but she was leaving Rosie in a far better situation than when she’d arrived.

Her phone beeped again: this time, it was from her sister.

‘Tried to call you all morning. Hope you’re decent because I’m 15 minutes away and I’m dying for a coffee.’

Olivia closed her eyes as a familiar sinking feeling floated down her. Alexandra was coming here? Just what she needed.

Today was going to be hard enough, saying goodbye to Rosie. She didn’t need an audience.

The wheels of Alexandra’s shiny black BMW rolled heavily up the manor house’s drive, and Olivia took a deep breath: she should know how to deal with her sister by now, but Alexandra still sometimes threw her off. She had a secret suspicion she was taking lessons from their mother, so similar were their methods.

Olivia opened the heavy front door just as her sister got out of the back seat, her shoulder-length black hair shining in the late-morning sun. Her eyes were covered with Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses, and she was wearing black heels and pristine dark blue jeans. She tugged the collar of her white shirt, straightened her black blazer and a smile crossed her face as she caught sight of Olivia. When Alexandra got to her, she pulled her sister into a brisk hug, and Olivia was surprised to find herself sinking into it.

She didn’t want to go home, but it was nice to see a familiar face after she’d thrown her life into such an emotional blender over the past 24 hours.

When Alexandra let go and assessed her at arm’s length, not moving her sunglasses, Olivia tried a confident smile. She could totally style this out, like her sister turning up on her doorstep was an everyday occurrence.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” She folded her arms across her chest as Alexandra let her go.

Her sister let out a small huff. “I volunteered. Mummy and Daddy were concerned you wouldn’t honour your agreement to come home today. She was going to send Malcolm.”

Olivia’s mouth formed an ‘O’, suddenly grateful to her sister: dealing with her mother’s private secretary was the last thing she wanted today.

Alexandra nodded. “Exactly. So I told her I’d come instead, make sure you got home safely. And you’d better be grateful, because it meant leaving at an ungodly hour this morning to avoid the traffic. At least I wasn’t driving, so I had a catnap in the car.” Her sister paused. “Plus, it gives me a chance to get the full story of why you’ve spent so bloody long in this place.” She took her sunglasses off and surveyed Olivia’s face. “Because there’s a story, of that much I’m sure. Jemima wanted to come, too, but I put her off.” She raised both eyebrows. “So, I’d say you owe me big time.”

“I’d say you’re right.”

Alexandra swept into the house, looking far more the part in the large, airy kitchen. She flung the back door open and stared at the patio and garden beyond, before turning to Olivia with a crooked smile. “Do you remember all the times we had here as kids?”

Olivia nodded. “It’s one of the reasons I love it here — happy memories of summer holidays without Mother and Father on our backs. Just us two, Sophia and Nadia.” The final two names belonged to their nannies who’d shepherded their childhood far more than their parents.

A wistful look crossed Alexandra’s face. “I haven’t thought about Sophia and Nadia in years,” she said. “Did you put the kettle on, by the way?”

Olivia filled it at her command. “I’ve only got instant coffee, though.” She waved the jar of Kenco at her sister, who gave her the exact face she’d expected.

“My god, you really are slumming it. No staff and instant coffee.” She put her hands on her hips. “What’s going on, Olivia?”

Olivia busied herself making the hot drinks, ignoring Alexandra’s question.

She was successful, too, until she turned and Alexandra was standing next to her, closing in on her space.

“I just needed some space, like I told Mother.” Stalling tactic; even she knew it was lame.

Alexandra scoffed. “You’ve been gone nearly a month! That’s not space, that’s another universe altogether.” She walked to the table and sat, drumming her fingers on polished wood.

When Olivia glanced over, she tried not to think of a naked Rosie sprawled on that table last night, her fingers digging into Olivia’s back as she came. She was only partly successful.

“What’s really going on? You can tell me.” Her sister had her concerned face on.

“Because you’ve always been so supportive of me and my relationships in the past.”

“That’s because I could see they wouldn’t work!” Alexandra shook her head. “I know you were keen on Ellie, but she wasn’t suitable for you long-term, you knew that.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Keen on her? I was in love with her! But not one of my family could stand to hear that, could they?”

Alexandra gave her the same measured look the Queen was so fond of. “Love isn’t always what matters, you know that.”

“Talking of which, how is Miles?” Olivia spat the sentence.

Alexandra scowled. “He’s fine, as far as I know.” She avoided Olivia’s gaze as she continued. “You know the drill. He has his life and I have mine. We show up for engagements and the camera. We get on well enough, and we have our arrangements as far as our needs are concerned.” She licked her lips. “It could work just the same for you and Jemima, and she knows that, too. But she thinks you’re getting cold feet, and so do some of the press pack.” She paused, looking Olivia directly in the eye. “And frankly, so do I.”

“So, Mother asked you to talk some sense into me?”

“Somebody has to, Olivia. It’s one thing for you to take some time. It’s quite another for the press to start wondering why they haven’t had a photo opportunity of you and Jemima since the announcement. You need to play the game — and you can’t do that if you’re 250 miles apart.”

“Fuck the press — this is my life.”

That earned a steely stare. “You know as well as I do it stopped being your life the moment you were born.”

Olivia blew out a long breath, before fixing her sister with her stare. She knew everything Alexandra was saying was true, but it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Especially not after last night. “You want to go for a walk? I need some fresh air.”

Alexandra pursed her lips but got up, stretching her arms above her head. “Sure. And maybe we could go and get some proper coffee after that because this stuff is vile.”

Olivia made Alexandra wear a sun hat she found in the under-stairs cupboard, and gave her some trainers when she complained about walking in heels. “They’ll make you far less conspicuous anyhow,” she told her. “Me in trainers isn’t that big a deal — but the future queen in a pair of Nikes? Nobody expects that.”

They walked around the grounds of the house speaking about their parents and about Alexandra’s two small children. After 20 minutes, Alexandra wanted to venture outside the grounds, to walk down to the cliffs she remembered as a child.

“If we do, you have to keep your head down. I’ve managed to stay under the radar with my hair and glasses, but you’re far more recognisable.”

“Promise,” Alexandra replied.

They set off from the back of the estate, down a small lane with brambles and nettles either side. Oak trees lined the path, and to either side, rolling fields led down to the clifftops in the distance. Sheep filled up one field, corn the other. When they were teenagers, the sisters had often run through these fields and laid flat on their backs, discussing their future partners and future dreams. Neither of their lives had panned out quite as they’d once imagined.

“So, what’s going on? You keep avoiding the question, but if I had to guess, I’d say there’s another woman involved.” Alexandra glanced to her left. “Am I right?”

Olivia swallowed down hard but didn’t see any point denying it. “You’re right.” Her voice was only just audible.

“So, who is she?”

Warmth swept up Olivia and an involuntary grin settled on her face. Where Rosie was concerned, it just happened. “She runs a cafe in the village and she’s just… perfect.”

Alexandra slowed her pace and took her sister’s arm. “Oh god, you’ve got that goofy look on your face.” She put three fingers to her temple. “You can’t be trusted to come down here for a few weeks and not fall in love?” She shook her head, like it was the worst thing in the world. “Olivia, you need to start living in the real world, not just in your bubble.”

Olivia frowned at that. What was she talking about? This was just about as real as it got. “Ever thought being a royal is the unreal world?” She swept her arm from left to right. “Look around you — this is real life.”

“For normal people, yes!” Alexandra was standing still now, frowning. “But you’re not normal people — when are you going to understand that? You’re a royal! Which means you can’t just swan around like that doesn’t matter — and it also means you have to marry within your circle. Jemima is the perfect choice.” She closed her eyes briefly, before fixing her sister with her gaze. “But go on, tell me more about this woman.”

Annoyance flared in Olivia’s chest. “You make it sound like I fall in love like this all the time.”

“You’ve done it once before.”

“Yes, once! Excuse me for thinking I’m allowed to meet people and fall in love. You’re as bad as Mother, you know that?”

Alexandra’s face didn’t move. “So, details?”

Olivia held her gaze. “Her name is Rosie, she’s 28 and she’s one of the kindest, smartest women I’ve ever met.”

“Rosie.” Alexandra winced as she spoke, chewing on the name like it was the sourest taste ever. “Hardly the name of a future royal.”

“If only you could meet her, you’d know she’s different. She’s so strong, hard-working and beautiful, and she makes me laugh. She makes me feel on top of the world. Like I want to shout about it from the rooftops.”

“You can’t do this again, Olivia! Mother will go into a tailspin, and you’ve already committed to Jemima. Don’t make this any harder than it needs to be. You knew the score when you came down here. And what about this woman’s feelings? Did you stop to consider that?” She moved her sunglasses up her head, frowning. “Does she even know who you are?”

Heat rose to Olivia’s cheeks at that. “Not exactly,” she mumbled.

“You’re a bloody fool, you know that?” Alexandra shook her head with a smile. “You’re getting married in eight weeks' time. Do the decent thing, follow through and have affairs like the rest of us. Love comes and goes, but what you need for a royal marriage is someone who understands your world, someone with class. I’m sure Rosie is lovely, but does she have the class needed to do this right? The answer is no.”

“You haven’t even met her!” How dare her sister write Rosie off without a thought.

“I don’t need to, she runs a cafe in a village in Cornwall for god’s sake!” Alexandra studied her sister closely again. “You’ve slept with her, haven’t you?”

Olivia nodded slowly, heat burning her cheeks. “Last night.”

Alexandra blew out another breath. “Then prepare to add Princess Heartbreaker to your list of titles. Because that’s what you’re about to be.”

They came to the end of the small path and out onto the clifftop, the sea a glittering carpet of blue velvet in the distance. For a moment, all thought of what they’d just been talking about melted away as Olivia took in the magnificent scene; nature at its best.

“You know, I can see the attraction of this place,” Alexandra said, sighing as she surveyed the scene. “It’s absolutely beautiful.”

Olivia nodded. “It is.” Just like Rosie. She kept that thought to herself.

A yapping around her feet brought both of their attention back to the moment, and Olivia bent down to pet the Jack Russell. “Hello you,” she said, rubbing behind its ears. Often, the highlight of a trip to the palace was seeing her mother’s troop of corgis.

“Biscuit! Come back here!”

Olivia looked up to see Amy running towards her, dog lead in hand. “Biscuit!”

Alarm streaked through Olivia as she pressed the panic button, turning to Alexandra as Amy approached. “Run back down the path, she can’t meet you,” she hissed, as her sister took the hint, just as Amy pulled up beside her. “Hello Charlie, and is that—”

Amy peered under the rim of Alexandra’s sun hat just as she whipped her head around and ran the other way.

“—just my cousin, desperate for the loo,” Olivia said, giving Amy a fixed grin. The last time she’d seen her, she’d been face down on the pool table, so there was no love lost. “Lovely dog,” she added.

Amy narrowed her eyes, nodding. “She is,” she said. “Lively, too. A little like your cousin, who I would swear holds an amazing resemblance to Princess Alexandra. But of course, that couldn’t be, because why would a princess be slumming it down here, right?”

Olivia ground her teeth together, her heart racing in her chest, a buzzing in her ears. It was going to come out eventually, wasn’t it? But she’d prefer Rosie to hear it from her and not from Amy, so she wasn’t going to give the game away.

“Why indeed?” Olivia replied, holding her nerve. If she admitted it, Amy would run straight to Rosie.

She might do that anyway, but not if Olivia could get there first.

Amy gave her a triumphant grin, before scooping up her dog. “You know, I’m suddenly feeling in need of refreshment, perhaps some lunch. Maybe at Mark & Maude’s. If Rosie’s there, she might like to know who she’s really been dealing with. Who’s really been feeding her lines to get her into bed before rushing back to London to get married.” She shook her head, giving Olivia a look of utter contempt. “I knew there was something off about you, but this is deception of epic proportions.”

“Amy,” Olivia began. She balled her fist by her side to stop her hand from shaking.

“Save it,” Amy said, turning to walk away. “Rosie deserves so much better than you. You might be a princess, but you’ve got absolutely zero class.”

Olivia stood with her mouth ajar as Amy hurried away from her, clutching her precious dog.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Her mind whirred with the implications of what had just happened, before her body clicked into gear. She had to get to Rosie before Amy did. Rosie simply couldn’t hear this from her — it would kill her, and it would crush Olivia, too.

She took a deep breath, then turned and sprinted down the path to the house.

Could she outrun Amy? She was about to find out.