Rosie sipped from her Cornish cider and it made her think of Charlie and the face she had pulled when she’d tasted it. But Rosie was at the Dog & Duck with her family and they were here to celebrate, so she ignored the pang of regret in her chest and looked her sister in the eye instead. Paige shot her a tight smile, then glanced at her watch.

“I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” Rosie said.

“He’d better be,” Paige said, in a tone that sounded more as though she and Grant had been married for twenty years, instead of being newly in love — and him about to be introduced to the family.

Rosie had to chuckle. Oh, to be filled with nerves at the prospect of the person you were in love with arriving. Such a delicious feeling. She was happy for her sister.

And Rosie might have been hurt, but she was making a fresh start. Starting a new life. There was no better way to get over a princess.

Gina studied the pub’s menu, then looked up, and said, “I may need to have a chat with the Davies’ about their pub menu.”

“Well, well,” Aunt Hilary said. “Listen to our Gina.” She held up her glass of wine. “Let’s drink to new beginnings.”

Just then Grant arrived, rubbing his palms on his jeans. Sweat pearled on his forehead. When his gaze slid to Paige, however, the frenetic glint in his eyes softened, and his lips curved into a lop-sided smile.

Paige seemed to melt on the spot. Rosie looked forward to teasing her about that on the way home.

Grant waved sheepishly at the four women huddled around the table. “Nice to meet you all. I mean, not that we, um, haven’t met before,” he stammered. “How about some more drinks?”

“Sit down, Grant,” Aunt Hilary said. “I’ll get you a drink so you can join our toast.”

Grant did as he was told. Perhaps Paige had warned him to obey Aunt Hilary when she was in a boisterous mood — and she sure was tonight.

He kissed Paige chastely on the cheek and Rosie felt another pang of something in her chest. Nostalgia at the memory of time gone by. Covering Paige with a blanket after she’d fallen asleep in the sofa — again. Trying to help her little sister with her homework but Paige knowing everything so much better than Rosie. Visits to the cemetery, Paige tucked against her side, both of them sniffling but trying to hide their tears from each other.

Aunt Hilary returned with a beer for Grant. Rosie glanced at him for a second. He had the same big brown eyes as Amy.

“Let’s try again,” Aunt Hilary said. She raised her glass again and everyone followed suit. “To new beginnings.”

Aunt Hilary wasn’t one to take early retirement and she had agreed to stay on at the cafe along with Gina. Rosie was glad because with her aunt staying, it felt like a piece of her mother — and a piece of herself — would still be present at Mark & Maude’s.

“Don’t you girls forget where your home is,” Aunt Hilary said.

“I’ll only be away a few months,” Rosie said.

“And I’ll be at uni.” Paige turned towards Grant. “Please keep an eye on this one for me while I’m away.”

“I’ll have fresh pasties waiting for you whenever you get back,” Gina said.

“Hello, hello,” Amy’s voice came over the speakers.

“Good grief,” Grant groaned. “It’s starting.” He rolled his eyes. “My sister loves doing this way too much.”

As long as she doesn’t launch into song, Rosie thought.

“We’ve all agreed to sing a celebratory song tonight,” Paige said. “What are you singing?” She smirked at Grant.

“Me?” Grant’s eyes grew wide with horror. “I’m not singing. I want the customers to have a good time, not have their ears bleed. Besides, Amy would never let me.” He relaxed, sure of his case.

Rosie tuned out the rest of their conversation and looked at Amy on stage. She’d done right by her in the end. As long as she didn’t burst into I Will Always Love You again, Rosie could enjoy this evening out with her family.

“Normally, I would kick off the evening’s events,” Amy said. “But tonight, I’d like for someone else to do the honours.” She stood there with a smug grin on her face, her gaze glued to their table. For an instant, Rosie feared Amy might call her to the stage. “My baby brother’s here tonight and he’s in love.”

Grant’s cheeks grew pink all the way to his ears. “That bitch,” he muttered under his breath.

“Doesn’t look like you have much choice,” Paige said.

“Of course I have a choice. My sister has been tormenting me since the day I was born. I’ve learned how to stand up to her.” To prove his point, he rose. “I wouldn’t want to take away your most fun moment of the week, Amy.” Grant had raised his voice so the entire pub could hear him.

Aunt Hilary rolled her eyes. “Sibling rivalry.”

Amy ignored what her brother was saying. “Please everyone, help me lure Grant up onto the stage.” She had the advantage of a microphone in her hands. “Grant! Grant! Grant!” She started chanting the poor boy’s name so that it reverberated through the pub.

Paige joined in and started shouting her boyfriend’s name.

Poor Grant. Rosie knew all about Amy’s persistence. Maybe, in the future, she and Grant could bond over that.

“Come on, Grant.” Amy nodded at Dave behind the bar. “I’ve got your favourite song cued up.”

“To think I was actually beginning to see her good side again,” Rosie said to Aunt Hilary.

“Thank goodness you and your sister were never like this with each other.”

“I’m sure we had our moments,” Rosie said.

“Not that I can remember.” Aunt Hilary shot her a smile.

Most of the pub was now yelling Grant’s name. Rosie could barely make out the music over the frantic shouting.

“Come on.” Paige egged him on. “Sing me a song then.” Maybe she and Amy would get along better in the future, because she seemed to enjoy her torturing her boyfriend.

“You asked for it,” Grant said. “But no complaining afterwards.”

“I’ll enjoy every note of it.” Paige blew him a kiss.

Grant made his way to the stage. Some people were still screaming his name. Maybe he enjoyed the attention — he was a Davies, after all.

Amy mock-curtsied and handed her brother the microphone.

Paige leapt to her feet and started clapping.

“He hasn’t even started yet,” Aunt Hilary said.

“Ah, young love.” Gina gazed at the stage with a silly grin on her lips.

Dave restarted the track and Rosie recognised the song this time. Amy really was a bit of a bitch. Grant wasn’t even born when this was a hit. She waited with bated breath for Grant to start singing. Once he did, a collective sigh echoed through the pub. Grant didn’t let it get to him and delivered a truly horrendous version of Robbie Williams’ Angels.

The second time the chorus came around, everyone joined in to drown out the tone-deaf noise Grant was producing with his vocal chords, and it reminded Rosie of how much she loved this place.

No doubt Grant would be teased mercilessly once he got off the stage, but it would all be in good cheer. And Rosie had to applaud him for the heart he was putting into his performance. It sounded as though angels were being murdered instead of being sung about, but he was strutting around the stage and beckoning the crowd to sing along.

Paige had found a good guy.

“I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to enjoy that song again,” Gina said.

“Let’s make sure he never does that at the cafe. No microphones allowed in there,” Aunt Hilary said.

“I may have to reconsider this relationship,” Paige said with a wide smile on her face.

The crowd whooped as Grant headed off the stage. There had been nothing romantic about his performance, yet Paige welcomed him back to the table as though he had just sung her the most heartfelt serenade.

“You actually made me sad that Amy didn’t open the singing tonight,” Rosie said. She took a long sip from her drink and chuckled.

“Don’t pretend as though I didn’t do you a big favour by taking the spotlight from her,” Grant said, jesting, as though he was part of the family already. He emptied his beer. “Another round?” he asked. “Singing makes me thirsty.”

Rosie got up. “I’ll get it. You get the next one.” She had a feeling they were going to be here for a while. She took the opportunity to visit the loo. When she was washing her hands, she could swear she heard the opening bars of Royals by Lorde come on. Once her favourite song — now forever tainted.

She hurried back into the pub to see who was singing it. Rosie usually picked this song for herself on karaoke night — and most people in Otter Bay knew this. It was probably a weekender from London, stealing her song. She could already make out that it was a woman’s voice. Whoever it was, she was welcome to it. Rosie didn’t plan on belting this one out any time soon. Too many memories were attached to it now for her to enjoy singing it.

She turned the corner and looked at the stage.

This couldn’t be. Rosie blinked, but when she peered at the stage again, it was still the same woman standing there, singing.

Their gazes met and locked. Now there was no doubt left. It was her. Charlie had come back to sing for Rosie. She didn’t look anything like the woman Rosie had seen in the newspapers the past few weeks, in her designer dresses and with layers of makeup on her face.

This wasn’t Princess Olivia on the stage at the Dog & Duck. It was the Charlie, the ex-army officer Rosie had met two months ago. The person who had wooed her. The gorgeous woman Rosie had spent one glorious night with.

Rosie stood nailed to the floor. How had this happened? And where was Jemima?

The people on the table to her right started jabbing each other in the arm. Even though Charlie didn’t look much like the woman who had been dominating the more frivolous bits of the news of late, she was being recognised. She could no longer hide. Yet, she had decided to go up on stage and sing, for Rosie.

A girl walked to the edge of the stage and started filming Charlie on her phone. She was soon joined by two more people. Rosie wanted to stop them, wanted to tell them that, although this was a public place, this was a private moment.

And in that instant, she understood that for Charlie, when it came to love, there was no such thing as a private moment.

Flashes were going off all over the place now. If anyone posted this on social media, the paparazzi would be here soon. These were the sort of things Charlie had to concern herself with. Rosie had been hounded by the press enough over the past few weeks to know how utterly exposed that could make you feel.

She walked closer to the stage but remained behind the people with their phones out. Charlie kept looking at her as though Rosie were the only person in the pub.

There could only be one reason Charlie had come here and exposed herself like this.

She was doing this for Rosie.

The song ended and everyone in the pub went wild. Charlie gave a quick bow but kept eye contact with Rosie. Once she had risen back to her full length, she grinned, and rushed off the stage.

Rosie followed her and met her at the side of the stage. She took Charlie by the hand and dragged her outside, hoping no one would follow.