“Olivia, this way! Rosie, could you turn a little to your left?”

Olivia glanced at Rosie out of the corner of her eye, mouthing “Are you okay?” as she squeezed her hand tight. They were standing in the grounds of her estate, just as she and Jemima had a little over three months ago. Olivia would be lying if she said she wasn’t amazed at how much her life had turned around since then, because it had. She remembered that day with Jemima so well: the bright blue skies, her brittle smile, the clouds in her heart. But today, all of that had changed — and that was thanks to Rosie. Her new fiancée — her first proper fiancée as she kept saying — had taken so much on-board since they’d agreed to marry, but this was their first official press conference together. The one where they stood side by side and announced their engagement, officially.

Olivia was beyond proud of how Rosie was coping, and also of how she looked in her sleek, raspberry-coloured dress with cream heels and matching jacket. Rosie had seemed to sense this was needed for today, and she’d gone along with the royal dressers without complaint, accepting their clothing recommendations and sending photos to Paige, who declared her sister ‘not half bad — decent, even’. They’d both laughed at that.

But Paige was right, and every time Olivia looked at Rosie, she was wowed all over again. Far from looking like a local from a Cornish village, as Rosie had been worried about, she looked every inch a future royal bride. Olivia couldn’t have been prouder to have her by her side.

“Olivia, is it true you sang Lorde’s Royals on the night you got engaged?”

“Rosie, can you tell us the full story of how Olivia proposed? We’ve heard it was because you fed her every day at your cafe?”

Rosie appeared steady, but Olivia could feel the tremble in her body as she stood smiling at the cameras. She put a hand on her back to reassure her and took control.

“I think you’ll find I did a more than passable karaoke version of that song, but no, I didn’t use it to propose — that would be cheesy in the extreme.” Olivia paused for maximum effect as the cameras whirred and lenses zoomed in on her. “Don’t get me wrong, I can be cheesy — Rosie will tell you that — but not when it comes to proposals. Let’s just say, I proposed in Otter Bay, and I hope it’s where we’re going to set up home eventually, once we’re back from our travels.”

“Will you be using the same wedding cake you had made for you and Jemima, Olivia?”

Okay, that was a question too far — they’d been told not to bring up Jemima. “This wedding is brand-new, and everything about it will be, too.” This time, Olivia’s tone held steel. “It’s going to be a much smaller affair, so the size of the cake will not be important.” With that, she squeezed Rosie’s hand and they began walking up the path back towards the estate.

“You okay?” Olivia whispered, putting a guiding hand on Rosie’s back. She knew that would be an image pored over in the Mail On Sunday this weekend: ‘A hand on Rosie’s back — we ask our body language expert to reveal its hidden meaning’.

“Just concentrating on not falling over before we get through the gate,” Rosie replied, keeping her eyes focussed forward.

“If you fall, I’ll catch you,” Olivia replied. They reached the black wooden gate and it opened — Olivia’s housekeeper, Anna, was waiting for them.

Rosie almost fell through it, before leaning over, hands on thighs like she’d just run a marathon.

Olivia smiled, rubbing her back. She understood, although dealing with the press was second nature for her, seeing as she’d been doing it all her life.

“You poor thing, can I get you something? A glass of water?” Anna was fussing, as Rosie came upright.

“That’d be great, thank you,” she replied, as Anna scurried off.

“Your number one fan comes to your rescue,” Olivia said, smiling. Ever since they’d got back to London two weeks ago, Anna had been incredible with Rosie, making her feel at home in the estate right away.

“I was hoping you were my number one fan,” Rosie replied, cocking her head.

Olivia licked her lips as she wound an arm around Rosie’s waist, pulling her close until her lips were in kissing distance. “I am, but I know how to make you feel better without the aid of water,” she replied, pressing her lips to Rosie’s, kissing her softly. When she pulled back, Olivia shook her head, staring into Rosie’s crystal blue eyes. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but you were amazing out there.”

Rosie winced. “Really? I wasn’t too stiff? Because it felt like I was.” She kissed her again. “I don’t know how you do this all the time.”

Olivia smiled. “It’s what I’m used to — I couldn’t run a cafe, but you can, it’s what you’re used to.”

“Not anymore,” Rosie replied, untangling herself from Olivia. She frowned before continuing. “Did your mother get back to you on a title, by the way? I still think the Duchess of Bath is a bit much — it’s just little old me, I don’t really need a city with a massive cathedral. Duchess of Otter Bay would do me fine…” Then she grinned. “Actually, Duchess of Otter Bay would be brilliant, it would piss Amy right off.”

Olivia let out a bark of laughter at that. “I thought you and Amy had buried the hatchet and were getting on fine now?”

Rosie shrugged a single shoulder. “We are, but it’s still nice to wind her up occasionally.” She grinned. “She’s been texting me a lot since we announced the engagement, though — I think she’s angling for an invite.”

“If you want her there, she can come. Just so long as she knows she’s not running the karaoke at the reception.”

“There’s going to be karaoke at the reception?” Rosie’s tone was aghast.

Olivia leaned in and put her mouth next to Rosie’s ear. “That was a joke.”

“Good,” Rosie replied, looking relieved. “By the way, I got another text from Aunt Hilary this morning — Connie is offering to give us a discount if we buy our wedding outfits from her boutique. So long as we then let the world know we bought them from her.” Rosie was already laughing. “I told Aunt Hilary to let her down gently.”

Olivia grinned, glancing at Rosie. Sometimes, she had to stop and remind herself this was really happening, that the world had rolled in her favour for once. Often, though, she still couldn’t believe her luck. “You know, if Connie hadn’t scared me into running into your cafe, our story might never have happened, so I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Connie.”

“Enough to buy clothes from her?”

“Let’s not take it too far.” Olivia shook her head. “I don’t much care what we wear for our wedding, so long as we have one.” Her words had never been truer as she looked up into the overcast August sky. “Although my mother might throw a hissy fit.”

However, even the Queen had come around to the new status quo over these past two weeks, thanks to Alexandra and her grandmother having words, as well as Rosie being charming. Rosie had been so nervous when Olivia had introduced her to her parents, but she’d kept it together and made it through with flying colours — her mother even telling Olivia she could “see the appeal”. Olivia had almost fallen over backwards when she’d heard that.

It hadn’t surprised her, though. Because having Rosie here these past two weeks had seen Olivia’s life fall into place with a satisfying click. With Rosie by her side, there were no ifs, and no buts, there just was. The two of them were made for each other, and when her parents had realised that, they’d come around. Now, far from being the outsider, in just two short weeks Rosie had managed to charm the queen far more than Jemima ever had. And, now that Olivia’s mother had been convinced Rosie wasn’t an undercover spy sent from Otter Bay to dish the dirt on the royals, she’d begun to relax.

Anna clearing her throat drew Olivia’s attention away from Rosie. “Madam, sorry to disturb you.” Anna held out a glass of water to Rosie before addressing Olivia. “But your sister’s here, and your parents, too. Shall I show them out?”

Olivia frowned. Her sister and her parents? What on earth were they doing here? “Absolutely,” she replied.

Rosie gulped the water, then gave it to Olivia, pulling down her dress and brushing down the front of her. “Do I look okay? I’m not sure when I’ll ever get over the fact your sister is Princess Alexandra and your parents are the Queen and Prince Hugo.”

“They still have to pee and they both eat marmalade at breakfast — just remember that,” Olivia said, taking her hand in hers again.

Feet crunching on gravel made Olivia look up, and sure enough, her parents and her sister were walking towards them, smiles plastered on their faces.

Hang on a minute — was this a moment of family unity? If it was, Olivia wasn’t sure she could quite compute it — mainly because she’d never seen one before. Over their shoulder, she saw Anna approaching carrying a tray of champagne.

“What’s all this?” Olivia eyed Alexandra.

“Surprise!” her sister replied, hugging first Olivia, then Rosie. “I thought, because this was such an auspicious occasion — your proper engagement and Rosie’s first press conference — we should celebrate.” She winked. “Anna was in on the surprise, getting the champagne chilled.”

A warmth spread through Olivia as she took a glass and passed it to Rosie, before picking one up for herself. “I don’t know what to say.” And she didn’t. Her family normally left her speechless for the wrong reasons, never for the right ones.

“And you did brilliantly, my dear. A natural in front of the cameras,” her father told Rosie.

Rosie dipped her chin to her chest, her cheeks turning pink. “I didn’t fall over, and that’s the main thing.”

Olivia put an arm around Rosie’s shoulder, raising her glass in the other. “I’d like to propose a toast. To Rosie joining our family, and to us having the best wedding ever.” She glanced at Rosie. “I already know it will be, because I’ve got the perfect woman to be my bride.”

“To you and Rosie!” Alexandra chorused.

The Queen raised her glass. “To you both.”

Olivia kissed Rosie’s cheek. “I’ll drink to that.”